Dark Shadows
by DZ2
Summary: Seeing is Believing Response: Dark secrets, a new chance at a life he should have lived and shocking revelations concerning his family set Harry on a path into the dark areas of magic, but, to him, there is no good and evil, there is only magic and those worthy to wield it. Grey-Eventual Dark-Harry; Eventual Harry/Tracey; OOC Characters; PS-DH Serious AU; AD/RW/MW/PW/GW Bashing
1. Dragons in Diagon

Dark Shadows: A Harry Potter Fan Fiction

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or any of its associated characters; all rights belong to JK Rowling; I do own any OC spells explained at the end of a chapter.

**Plot: **Seeing is Believing Challenge Response: Dark secrets, a new chance at a life he should have lived and shocking revelations concerning his family set Harry Potter on a path into the dark areas of magic, but, to him, there is no good and evil, there is only magic and those worthy to wield it.

**Author's Note: **Okay, so as promised, _here_ is the final story that I'm starting work on for this year; it's come to me and won't leave me alone, so let's hope all the headaches are worth it, because I certainly hope so. Now this story will have some _major_ AU elements to the books/films and OOC characterisation – what stories of mine _don't,_ right? – so as always, if you don't like it, then just don't read it.

**Challenge Information: ****DZ2's Seeing is Believing Challenge: ****When Draco meets Harry in Madam Malkin's, he invites him to join the rest of the family. Soon, Harry is proven wrong not only about Slytherins, but about the Malfoy reputation as well.**

**Rules: **Grey or Dark Harry _Grey/Dark_

Draco is NOT a proud, 'wait-until-my-Father-hears-about-this' person: instead, he's a kid with a bit...more than normal kids.

Ravenclaw or Slytherin Harry

Ravenclaw or Slytherin Draco

To counter the beliefs of Slytherins being evil, Harry convinces Draco to befriend Hermione or Neville

For some reason, Dumbledore must see Harry's relationship with the Malfoys as a threat

Severus is shown by Lucius or Draco that Harry is _nothing_ like James and instead sees him more like a boy/Lily's son

Lucius and Severus must pay the Dursleys a _visit_ to repay them for their _kindness_ towards Harry (_**if you get my drift**_)

Harry must learn that Lucius is a Death Eater, but still trust him

**Guidelines: **Harry choosing to go all the way and joins Tom _Maybe_

If Harry _doesn't_ join Tom, the Dark Lord agrees to leave him alone

Draco/Harry pairing

The Malfoys are named guardians in Lily and James' will _Accepted_

Draco and Harry are _brothers In a way_

Sirius is freed and his case looked into by Lucius _Accepted_

If not Lucius, then Severus adopts Harry

Slash

All Pairings are welcome

**Forbidden: **Harry trusting Dumbledore

Gryffindor Harry

Hermione Bashing

Neville Bashing

Draco and Lucius being stuck-up

Severus Bashing

**Other than that, it's up to you...**

**Added Note: **Now, since you all see the challenge and I _know_ that some people will either complain about repetitions of my old work, I'll just say it again: if you don't like it, then don't read it. The idea I had for this story has more humane, caring Malfoys, a slightly darker Dumbledore, naturally bashing of certain jealous idiots as well as certain loudmouths and, of course, a gifted, bordering on powerful, Harry.

So, again, if you don't like any of the things you've just read on that list or if there's anything else about my work you don't like, then don't read it: to quote one of my good friends' works and advice:

_**There is a HUGE difference between constructive criticism and someone who is being rude. I DO NOT like it when people do nothing but complain about my stories. If my story is not your cup of tea then do us both a favor and do not read it. To be ugly about each chapter and never say anything nice is not only annoying, but it is extremely rude. I go out of my way to please my readers. I cannot please everyone. IN the end, there is really only one person who needs to be pleased. That person would be me.**_

Okay? So, if for any reason this story doesn't fit your liking, then either go and read something else, or even better, write your own stories; that's what FFN is for, after all. I'm not JK Rowling, so I don't put the characters the same as those brilliant books and films, but still, I am the same as any writer with my work being targeted by negative comments, abusive remarks and, worse of all, plain-minded opinions telling me it's stupid, disbelieving, wrong or just plain ignorant.

Hello?

It's called _**FAN FICTION **_dot net for a reason…

Sorry for my little rant there, my loyal readers; I just needed to get that off my chest before we get into the story: so, let's go…

**Dedication: **I'd like to dedicate this story to everyone that's been on that very rocky road with me throughout the year and helped keep my spirits up with all my stories; my recommended reads are _A Familiar's Intuition_ by Dragonsrule18, _Silver Tongue_ by Shadow Hidden By The Moon and _Rewind of Time_ by StormyFireDragon: three amazing stories, the first of which inspired the challenge and this story, so an added thanks to _Dragonsrule18_ for that.

**Key Pairing: **Eventual Harry/Tracey; Eventual Draco/Hermione; Lucius/Narcissa

**Other Pairings: **Eventual Neville/Daphne; Eventual Blaise/Luna; Mentions of Lily/James

Normal Speech

'Thought'

/_Parseltongue_/

Chapter 1: Dragons in Diagon

The late-morning sun shone down on Diagon Alley, filling the store windows with light while seemingly dragging the unseen, better-off-avoided area of Knockturn Alley further into the shadows.

Along the street, many of the customers flitted between the stores while, at the top-most end of the street, standing on the lowest step of Gringotts' entrance, Harry James Potter shielded his eyes from the sunlight, his heart still feeling light and full of shock as he thought about everything that he had just witnessed.

A vault, a vault in his name and filled with more money than he had ever seen in his entire life and, according to Hagrid, it was all his to use as and when he needed it to be. Harry had never even had as much as 5p for a chewy sweet from the post office and now he had enough money to buy out an entire sweet shop.

Looking around the street and eyeing up each and every one of the stores that stood between him and the opposite end of the Alley, one question burned on Harry's tongue as he looked to Hagrid, "Erm…where do we begin, Hagrid?"

"Well," replied the giant man, "If it's alright wi' yeh, 'Arry, I'd like ter go and 'ave a lil' pick-me-up in the Cauldron: I 'ate them Gringotts carts, yeh see?"

He did look very green, so when Harry nodded in agreement, Hagrid gestured to the nearest store as he explained, "Why don't yeh start wi' Madam Malkin's: yeh need yer robes if yer goin' ter be a student fer the next seven years."

Again, Harry nodded and so, with a step away from Hagrid, he moved over to the store on the corner, his ears picking up the sound of Hagrid moving through the crowd, leaving Harry in front of the robe maker's store.

For a moment, a feeling of excitement rose in Harry's chest as he thought about how he was being trusted to be responsible enough to go off on his own like this for a while. Even though he'd never really left the house without permission from the Dursleys, Harry had never really been allowed to do anything at his own pace and now, here he was, taking his time and making his way forwards.

As he moved towards the door of the shop, Harry stopped suddenly, the hairs on the back of his neck prickling: at the same time, the young wizard could swear that he felt a breeze ruffling the fringe of his black hair as he approached the shop. Looking around in case he was being watched, Harry shrugged off the sensation and stepped inside, almost immediately getting a feeling of awe and wonder as he looked at the many different samples of clothing and robe-making items in the shop.

Madam Malkin, the owner of the shop, was a rather squat little witch dressed in mauve clothing, but when she saw Harry, she gave him a warm smile and beckoned him over, "Come in dear, don't be afraid: let me guess…Hogwarts?"

"Yes ma'am," replied Harry politely: one lesson that the Dursleys had always drilled into him was to show due respect to his elders, though if he hadn't done, then the consequences were…pretty bad to say the least.

"Aren't you sweet?" asked Madam Malkin, guiding Harry through to the back of the shop as she explained, "I've got another young man back here now, but there's space enough for two, I think. Come on; hop up there and we'll start to measure you: is there anything else you'd like me to take care of while you're here?"

"Erm…" Harry began, but he was cut off from answering when he passed through to the fitting room and saw a taller, blonde-haired young man with his arms spread as he was being measured for his robe.

If there was another thing that his relatives had taught him, it was how to recognise those in higher station than Harry, though they'd always told him that _people like him_ were the lowest of the low, so _everyone_ was higher than he was. The boy with the blonde hair, however, screamed money, power and influence: his posture was strong and his hair was brushed back to a perfectly-styled manner, though he seemed to be waiting on the fitting of his robe rather than acknowledging someone else.

As Madam Malkin helped Harry onto the stool next to the blonde boy, however, the young man opened his eyes, revealing two misty-grey orbs, before he turned and, with a friendly-enough smile, he asked, "Hello there, Hogwarts too?"

"Err…yes," replied Harry, feeling a little awkward next to the boy: he'd once read a book about a member of royalty and someone that looked like they'd been dragged in off the street.

That was certainly how Harry felt right now.

"Well, we've all got to go sometime, isn't that right?" asked the boy; he had a slight drawl to his voice and, as Harry nodded in agreement, the boy seemed to realise his error in conversation as he moved his hand within reach of Harry as he added, "Oh, I'm sorry: in all the rush of the moment, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Draco Malfoy…and you are?"

"Harry," replied Harry, a little shaky as he remembered the reactions from the Leaky Cauldron: still, Draco had introduced himself by his full name, so it was only polite that Harry did the same, "Harry Pot…_ow!_"

His gasp of pain had come from being spiked by one of the fitting needles used by Madam Malkin to measure Harry: however, as he looked down, slightly hurt by the pain, Harry saw the woman gasp before she met his gaze, "Oh, Mr Potter: please forgive me. I was not aware that I was assisting you, but I guess it was inevitable: please, allow me to offer you a 25% discount on your items for the slip-up there…imagine it."

"You don't have to," Harry began, but Draco cut him off with a clearing of his throat.

Looking over at Draco, Harry then noticed that the boy seemed both relieved and awed by Harry's appearance before he told him, "She _never_ gives discounts out so freely, Harry: just accept it, if only to help you get your things and…a bit more."

"Oh…o-okay," Harry replied, finally shaking Draco's hand as he asked, "Are…are you okay, Mr Malfoy? You…you seem a bit shocked."

"Call me Draco," replied the Malfoy Heir, the feeling of friendliness returning as he continued with his fitting while he told Harry, "And I was just surprised because…well, it's a bit embarrassing really, but I guess you could say that I've been waiting for this moment."

"You…you _have?_" asked Harry, earning a nod from Draco, "Why?"

"Well," Draco replied, "It's not because of what you've done for the world of magic: no, Harry, you see, I don't know if anyone told you this, but our Mothers were actually best friends at Hogwarts right up until…that night."

"They…they were?" asked Harry, earning an incredulous look from Draco; fearing for a moment that he had insulted the Malfoy Heir, Harry averted his gaze as he told him, "S-Sorry Draco, it…it's just that no-one's…no-one's ever told me about Mum and Dad at school: I was raised by Muggles, you see…"

He paused with another wince as Madam Malkin let her pin slip once more, but this time, Harry hid his pain well enough as he added, "So…so I don't really…really know about their friends."

"Then," Draco asked, his own voice now a little shaky as he asked, "Who…who's showing you around the Alley? I mean, you didn't just come here on your own, did you?"

"N-no," stammered Harry, now feeling both embarrassed and a little hurt by the way it came out that he was alone, "Hagrid…Hagrid brought me and…"

"Him?" asked Draco, now a little concerned as he asked, "Not a professor like Severus or Professor McGonagall…"

Draco saw Harry's lips move silently, but the Malfoy Heir seemed to understand; with a shake of his head, he sighed as he told Harry, "I'm sorry, Harry: I guess I'm being a bit pushy, huh?"

"N-no," Harry answered, "I…I was the one being rude, Draco: you…you asked about me and…and I made you feel upset because I…I wouldn't look at you or talk like a…a normal person."

"Sounds like you are talking like a normal person to me," Draco reasoned, before he reached over and, patting Harry's arm, he added, "Tell you what, Harry? How would you like to come around the Alley with my parents and me? I can talk to my Father and we can get you ready for Hogwarts without just going on the bare essentials: I'm sure that Mother would appreciate it too. She's certainly been looking forwards to seeing you again."

Harry wanted to ask what Draco meant by seeing him again, but his words fell silent as Madam Malkin announced that he was done: as he stepped down from the stool, the seamstress went on as she explained, "I can have your robes delivered to your home address, Mr Potter, but if you have need of my services for any further tailor or clothing needs, then don't hesitate to ask."

"Th-thank you, ma'am," replied Harry, offering the payment for his robes before he stepped out into the sunlight once more, Draco now at his side where, once they were outside, Draco looked around for a sign of his parents.

"So," he then asked, looking to Harry, who was looking more lost than certain of his next move, "What do you say, Harry? Care to join us on our little shopping trip?"

"Are…are you sure your parents won't mind?" asked Harry, earning a fond smile and a shake of the head from Draco before Harry, remembering his _drilled-into-him_ manners, nodded with his reply, "O-O-Okay, Draco: but…but I should probably t-tell Hagrid too."

"You won't have to wait long," Draco reasoned, pointing down the alley; as Harry turned, he saw Hagrid moving towards them, a much healthier glow about him than what he'd looked like in Gringotts.

When the giant man stopped in front of Harry, he beamed warmly before he asked, "A'right there, 'Arry? Who might this be?"

"This is Draco," answered Harry, then noticing Draco's demeanour change as he just nodded curtly at Hagrid, "He's…he's a…a friend I made in there: he's asked me to spend time with his parents and…and he said they wouldn't mind, so…so I was going to ask you and…"

"Breathe, Harry," Draco muttered, then catching sight of a flash of movement behind the large man; lifting his head, he then asked, "Father, I thought we were meeting in Flourish and Blotts?"

"Circumstances changed, Draco," replied a clipped, noble-toned voice and, as Hagrid turned, Harry saw a man with the same white hair as Draco and, like when he'd first seen Draco, Harry couldn't help but think that this was also a man that screamed money, power and authority. He also looked rather firm and scary, but with a protective side to him that seemed to show itself as he asked, "And what might you be doing here, Rubeus? And, if I may be so bold, Draco, who is this young man with you?"

"This is Harry," Draco answered, lifting a hand to his eyes before he tapped them once; his Father, seeing the look, examined Harry's eyes and, when he saw the green light behind the horribly-cheap glasses, his eyes widened before he moved past Hagrid and, kneeling down, he peered into Harry's eyes.

"Harry…Potter, is that really you?" asked the man, earning a nod of response from Harry before the man added, "Oh, Narcissa will be so pleased to know we've met you here: Rubeus, don't tell me you're here with him? Surely Severus or Minerva or Filius…"

"I 'ad me orders from Professor Dumbledore," answered Hagrid, earning a scowl from Draco's Father before he added, "And I told Harry ter wait in the shop while I…I went fer a recovery in the Cauldron: anyway, I think we should be movin' on: come on, 'Arry."

Harry didn't know why he did what he did next: all he knew and all that he felt was a powerful urge not to move from either Draco or his Father's sides, his lips seemingly echoing that wish as he told Hagrid, "No."

Hagrid's normally kind-dark eyes suddenly became more like the blanketing night as he turned and, facing Harry, he asked, "I…I beg yer pardon, 'Arry?"

"D-D-Draco invited me to j-j-join him," answered Harry, feeling like an insect before the large man as he told him, "And…and I said yes: I can't…can't turn him away now. It's…it's not polite: s-sorry Hagrid, b-b-but unless Mr Malfoy says something else…I can't turn down the invite."

For a moment, Hagrid looked enraged and actually held a glare that Harry had only ever seen before Dudley got his tail: in that same moment, Harry actually feared what Hagrid was going to do to him.

However, instead of going after Harry, Hagrid turned to Mr Malfoy before he growled, "One 'air on 'is head out o' place, Malfoy, an' you and I'll 'ave problems, clear?"

"My dear man," replied Draco's Father, actually offended at the insinuation as he told Hagrid, "I would sooner risk my own health than harm young Mr Potter any further. On my honour as a Lord, I vow that I shall protect him and take great care of him until he so chooses to return to…to whatever place he called home."

"He was raised with Muggles, Father," Draco explained, the words bringing a tightly-gritted teeth expression to Mr Malfoy's face as he turned to Harry, who just nodded sheepishly.

"I…I see," added Mr Malfoy, "In that case, Mr Potter, I would extend a further invitation to spend the remainder of your summer at our home: I'm sure you can learn more about magic there than with…Muggles any day. And I'm certain that Draco would like the chance to know an old…acquaintance of his like you, wouldn't you, son?"

"Yes Father," replied Draco, the conversation earning another slow nod from Harry before Hagrid sighed with apparent defeat.

As he moved forwards, the large man kneeled down before he gently held Harry's shoulders and, as though he was trying to smother the boy with his large beard, he hugged him gently.

However, out of the line of sight of Mr Malfoy, Hagrid told him, "Don' be afraid, 'Arry: Lucius an' his son are actually goin' ter treat yeh right: I loved Lily an' James when they were at 'Ogwarts and I won't let that change, yeh 'ave me word. Now, if yeh needs anythin' at all, then jus' send yer owl ter me: they'll know where ter go. Owls always do."

"T-Thank you, H-Hagrid," whispered Harry, his words and Hagrid's advice only heard by Draco.

With that, Hagrid rose up before he looked to Lucius as he told him once more, "One 'air, Malfoy: jus' one and yeh'll 'ave me ter deal with."

Lucius dipped his head curtly before Hagrid left, unaware of Harry watching him all the way out until the man left through the entrance of the alley, leaving Harry with Lucius and Draco, the latter moving closer to Harry where, being as gentle as he could, he took Harry's arm and told him, "Come on, let's get going."

"Where?" asked Harry, looking now to Lucius as he added, "S-S-Sorry, sir: it's…it's nice to meet you and…and thank you for letting me stay, sir."

"Call me Lucius, Harry," replied the Malfoy Lord, before he nodded as he added, "As for where, we have to return to Gringotts: it would seem that my wife, Draco's Mother, Narcissa Malfoy, has been asked to attend an emergency meeting. Since you are a guest of my family now, Harry, I'd be honoured if you would attend with us."

Harry just nodded as he turned on his heel and walked alongside Draco back towards the white marble building.

As they walked, however, Harry also wondered why it was that Lucius and Draco were so caring and welcoming to him when, for all he knew, he wasn't exactly sure that he'd known them.

And yet, according to Draco, Harry _had_ seen his Mother before…but the question was: where?

_**Dark Shadows**_

Narcissa Malfoy was, without a doubt, the most-beautiful woman that Harry had ever seen:

With a similar paleness to her skin to her husband and son, the woman was different for her dark hair, though she did have streaks of white along her fringe. Her eyes were a piercing shade of blue and, when she saw Harry approaching with Lucius and Draco, the young wizard thought he saw a look of shocked disbelief in her eyes before she greeted her husband and son.

"Narcissa, my dear," Lucius remarked, giving his wife a gentle kiss on her cheek, "Allow me to introduce a rather special guest to our little outing today: Harry Potter, Harry, this is my wife and Draco's Mother, Narcissa Malfoy."

It was at that moment that Draco was surprised when Harry, taking Narcissa's hand, lightly kissed the back of it before he inclined his head to her as he told her, "It's…it's a pleasure to meet you…Lady Malfoy. I…I'd like to thank…thank you and your family for letting me join you on your day…"

"And in our home over the remainder of the summer," added Lucius, earning a nod from Draco before he asked, "But if I may ask, Harry: where did you learn that greeting?"

"I see…I mean I saw it on…on Muggle films a few times when they greet a Lady," admitted Harry, blushing at the smile that he received from Lucius and Narcissa before he asked, "Why? Did…did I do something wrong? I'm sorry, but…"

"You did nothing wrong, Harry-sweetheart," Narcissa told him, her voice soft, but edged by a maternal sense of care as she told him, "You did it right, all right: we were…we were just surprised, though it _is_ nice to see you again."

"Draco…" Harry began, but stopped when he realised that she'd only talked _about _him: it wasn't his place to speak of things he didn't understand.

Draco, however, continued for him as he told his Mother, "I…I accidentally let slip that you and the late Lady Potter were friends, Mother: Harry seemed very interested about that."

"Oh well," Narcissa told him, taking Harry's chin between her fingers and thumb before she lifted his face to meet her eyes, "You can ask whatever you want, Harry: there's no need to be scared. And Lucius is right too: you _are_ welcome at our home anytime you want, but, for now, I think it's a shocking coincidence that you're here."

"Why's that?" chorused Harry and Draco, the dark-haired wizard lowering his head as he realised how wrong he'd been to ask questions.

"I was summoned to Gringotts by the accounts manager to our vault," explained Narcissa, indicating the hall beyond the main entrance as she told the three males with her, "Master Riptide said that we, that is Lucius and I, have been summoned under emergency guidelines by none other than Chief Ragnok Dragonfang himself."

"Why would you?" asked Draco.

With a shrug, Narcissa eyed Harry before she answered softly, "I have a theory: Harry, you've been in here already, haven't you?"

"Yes, ma'am," replied Harry, earning a soft smile from Narcissa.

"Call me Narcissa, Harry," the Malfoy Lady told him, her voice still soft and caring as she added, "And, while you were here, were you shown to your personal vaults or just the one?"

"J-Just the one Mrs…erm, Narcissa," replied Harry, earning a slow nod from Narcissa while Harry knew that he shouldn't mention the You-Know-What in vault 713: Hagrid had asked him not to, so he wouldn't.

"No wonder I was summoned," Narcissa whispered, looking back to the hall just as a stout, but fierce-looking goblin appeared and, giving her a bow of respect, he led her and her small party down the hall, Draco still walking by Harry's side while Narcissa added, "Harry, I want you to know that you're not in trouble, but my reason for being here _is_ to do with you."

"Why is that?" asked Harry, before he clamped his lips shut as the Malfoys looked to him while they walked down the corridor.

"Don't be afraid to ask questions, Harry," Lucius assured him, his voice edged by calm relief as he told the boy, "Questions are but the seeds of knowledge and it's up to us to let them take root: to answer that, let me ask you: have you ever been told of your magical guardian?"

"N-No," answered Harry, his next words coming out before he could stop them, "Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon always said…"

"_What_ did you just say?" asked Narcissa, her icy tone surprising Lucius and Draco, but Harry had stopped, his steps now moving backwards as Narcissa turned to him: when she saw him trying to escape, Narcissa added, "Harry, don't move."

The boy stopped obediently; moving closer to him, Narcissa kneeled down before she asked, "Now, did you just suggest that you were raised by…by Petunia?"

Harry nodded, his eyes lowered with a hint of guilt.

All at once, everything she'd seen about the boy made sense to Narcissa, but she didn't like it: taking his chin in her fingers again, Narcissa lifted his head to her eyes before she told him, "Harry, you were _never_ meant to go to them: there were many others that could have looked after you and, right at the top, at your Mother's request, were Lucius and I."

"But…but why?" asked Harry, "Aunt…Aunt Petunia is Mum's sister…"

"No, Harry," Lucius answered before Narcissa had a chance to say it herself, "She isn't…and she never has been."

Harry felt the warmth from earlier that day vanish in an instant before Narcissa, keeping him in her gentle embrace, added to him, "Harry, your Mother and I were good friends, this you know, and, to prove that friendship, your Mother, Lilian, named _me_ your godmother when you were born. So I know what Lucius says is scary, but if you can wait a little while, I promise you I'll tell you everything."

"R-Really?" asked Harry, earning a nod from Narcissa before, to his surprise, Narcissa hugged him warmly and with more affection than Harry had ever felt in his entire life.

"Of course," answered Narcissa, trying her hardest to ignore the flinch she'd felt when she hugged the small boy, "I'd never lie to you, little one: not ever!"

**Phew, so there we go: Chapter 1 and what a way to begin: very different Malfoys – well maybe not Narcissa – and a hint about Lily, but what is the truth and how did Lily know Narcissa so well?**

**Also, can the Malfoys help Harry grow into the strong wizard we know he is and what was that feeling felt by Harry before he entered the shop?**

**Keep Reading to Find Out**

**Next Chapter: Questions are answered as lines are drawn while Harry learns the truth of his Mother, but a deeper secret and a bigger question lies in wait; also, Harry's lineage also reveals surprises that Lucius wasn't aware of while Draco makes Harry a promise as our young hero receives a special gift left to him by his Mother…**

**Please Read and Review**

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Pre-Hogwarts**_

**Okay, so there will be a few chapters yet before we actually get to Hogwarts as I'm using the summer to show everything we need to know about the new Harry and why the Malfoys are so…different; also, Draco and Harry are going to be pretty close, but only in a 'brotherly' sense and not a romantic one;**

_**AN2: Narcissa**_

**As you can see, I'm keeping Narcissa's caring side that we saw in the last movie as I always felt that more could be done with it and, as you'll see, she becomes someone who is intent on keeping Harry smiling;**


	2. The Real Harry Potter

Dark Shadows

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or any of its associated characters; all rights belong to JK Rowling; I do own any OC spells explained at the end of a chapter.

**Plot: **Seeing is Believing Challenge Response: Dark secrets, a new chance at a life he should have lived and shocking revelations concerning his family set Harry Potter on a path into the dark areas of magic, but, to him, there is no good and evil, there is only magic and those worthy to wield it.

**Added Note: **Now, since I _know_ that some people will either complain about repetitions of my old work, I'll just say it again: if you don't like it, then don't read it. To quote one of my good friends' advice:

_**There is a HUGE difference between constructive criticism and someone who is being rude. I DO NOT like it when people do nothing but complain about my stories. If my story is not your cup of tea then do us both a favor and do not read it. To be ugly about each chapter and never say anything nice is not only annoying, but it is extremely rude. I go out of my way to please my readers. I cannot please everyone. IN the end, there is really only one person who needs to be pleased. That person would be me.**_

Okay? So, if for any reason this story doesn't fit your liking, then either go and read something else, or even better, write your own stories; that's what FFN is for, after all. I'm not JK Rowling, so I don't put the characters the same as those brilliant books and films, but still, I am the same as any writer with my work being targeted by negative comments, abusive remarks and, worse of all, plain-minded opinions telling me it's stupid, disbelieving, wrong or just plain ignorant.

Hello?

It's called _**FAN FICTION**_ dot net for a reason…

Sorry for my little rant there, my loyal readers; I just needed to get that off my chest before we get into the story: so, let's go…

**Dedication: **I'd like to dedicate this story to everyone that's been on that very rocky road with me throughout the year and helped keep my spirits up with all my stories; my recommended reads are _A Familiar's Intuition_ by Dragonsrule18, _Silver Tongue_ by Shadow Hidden By The Moon and _Rewind of Time_ by StormyFireDragon: three amazing stories, the first of which inspired the challenge and this story, so an added thanks to _Dragonsrule18_ for that.

**Key Pairing: **Eventual Harry/Tracey; Eventual Draco/Hermione; Lucius/Narcissa

**Other Pairings: **Eventual Neville/Daphne; Eventual Blaise/Luna; Mentions of Lily/James

Normal Speech

'Thought'

/_Parseltongue_/

**Review Answers:**

**Jadedlady: Yeah, but whenever I read or even think of Narcissa in my own stories, I think of her movie appearance;**

**Alucard hellsing: Thanks friend;**

**Guest: I don't want to give away too much too soon, but I can say that Minerva isn't completely on Albus' side;**

**EndlessChains: He's just nervous because of his experiences with the Dursleys, experiences that they'll soon pay for when the right-hand of Lord Voldemort learns about them;**

**StormyFireDragon: I do try and put a little difference in my work from time to time, Storm, but I appreciate the compliment; also, hope you didn't mind me using your words of 'advice' to the readers about negativity;**

**Daithi4377: Yeah, it's sad when negativity leads to lack of inspiration and we all know what that leads to: also, you're wrong about one thing in your review: Lily was still Gryffindor at Hogwarts;**

"_Harry, your Mother and I were good friends, this you know, and, to prove that friendship, your Mother, Lilian, named me your godmother when you were born. So I know what Lucius says is scary, but if you can wait a little while, I promise you I'll tell you everything."_

"_R-Really?" asked Harry, earning a nod from Narcissa before, to his surprise, Narcissa hugged him warmly and with more affection than Harry had ever felt in his entire life._

"_Of course," answered Narcissa, trying her hardest to ignore the flinch she'd felt when she hugged the small boy, "I'd never lie to you, little one: not ever!"_

Chapter 2: The Real Harry Potter

By the time Narcissa and Harry caught up with Lucius and Draco – both of whom had walked on while Narcissa soothed the nerves of the dark-haired wizard and let him prepare for what was coming – the other two Malfoys had already reached the door that led into the meeting hall of the goblin lord.

Next to the door, Riptide, the goblin that had shown them down the corridor, gave a curt bow of respect before he told them, "Here is where I leave you, my Lords and Lady. My lord Ragnok awaits you inside."

"May your swords stay sharp, Master Riptide," Lucius remarked, earning a wide-eyed look from Harry before he saw the goblin dip his head in return.

"And yours, Lord Malfoy," replied Riptide, leaving the group to gather around the door where, with a loud, resonating knock, Lucius announced their presence.

"Enter, my friends," a stern, but powerful male voice answered, the sound of the voice making Harry's legs tremble as he was led by Lucius and guided by Narcissa into a vast meeting room. For a place that seated one of power, it looked rather plain: there were shelves filled with scrolls and books along one wall while behind a large stone table, Harry could see the heads and what looked like the skulls of many different creatures, the largest of which looked like a _dragon_ that loomed over a high-backed chair.

In this chair, another goblin was seated, but unlike Master Riptide, Harry knew that this goblin was a being who wouldn't take disrespect or rudeness: he wore a suit that seemed to be a mix of metallic pieces and clothed areas, a single crest shaped like a hammer and tongs engraved on the goblin's left arm.

The eyes of the goblin seemed to watch the entire room without moving, the deep, powerful shade of amber that they gave off making Harry shiver as he imagined the kind of things that this warrior of a leader could do if he was your enemy.

Perhaps for the first time, Harry had found someone who scared him more than his uncle, though he also knew that, unlike Vernon, Lucius and Narcissa would do their best to keep him safe if anything happened.

As Lucius bowed with respect, Harry and Draco following suit while Narcissa gave a curtsey of respect, the young dark-haired wizard heard Lucius address the being before them, "Lord Ragnok Dragonfang: on behalf of the Noble House of Malfoy, I thank you for allowing us the honour of this meeting. May your fortunes prove forever fruitful."

"And may your victories be many in the name of honour, Lord Malfoy," Ragnok replied, giving his own curt nod to each member of the group before he added, "As goblin chief, I can only apologise for the sudden summons to your good self, Lady Malfoy, but where security and the honour-binding ties of friendship are concerned, action is best achieved as quickly as possible. And young Heir Potter: it does this old goblin's heart joy to see you here, though I confess myself shocked at your…appearance."

"That wasn't his fault, Lord Ragnok," Narcissa replied, giving Harry a gentle squeeze on his shoulder as she explained, "Circumstances beyond our control have been found and discovered; now, in the name of the friendship I once shared with Lilian, I only wish to do right by this child."

"A noble sentiment, my Lady," Ragnok told her, his eyes then fixed on Harry as he asked, "Young Heir Potter, tell me: is it true that, earlier today, you were shown to your trust vault?"

"Y-Yes sir," stammered Harry, his nerves showing once more as he explained, "I-It was a goblin named G-Griphook that showed me to the vault, but…but there was also how Hagrid had…had my key and then…"

"You'll have to forgive his nerves, my lord," Lucius reasoned, now standing on Harry's other side as he explained to Ragnok, "As my wife told you, there are circumstances beyond our control, so…"

"There is no cause for apology, Lord Malfoy," Ragnok cut in, holding up a hand to stall Lucius' explanations before he told Harry, "You have nothing to fear within these walls, young Harry. As lord of the goblins, I can give you my personal guarantee that you are safe here, so please, if you would all take your seats, we may proceed with what needs to be done."

With Lucius and Narcissa still on either side of him, Harry took his seat, once more letting his eyes move away from the goblin chief before Lucius, comforting Harry with a gentle touch to his arm, asked, "Lord Ragnok, what exactly could be so distressing that it requires my wife's presence?"

"Several things that, up until a matter of almost an hour ago, were kept from me under false pretences," explained Ragnok, the air of danger in his voice suggesting that this was a _very_ bad idea.

While Harry and the Malfoys now listened to him, Ragnok went on, "First, and perhaps the single worst moment of all, when Heir Potter arrived in these halls, it was under _strict_ orders from myself and the late Lord Potter that his son be tended to by no other goblin save for myself, Master Riptide or Master Barchoke: by ignoring this edict, the goblin formerly known as Griphook risked disciplinary action."

"You said…_formerly,_ Lord Ragnok?" asked Draco, earning a nod from the goblin chief as he looked to each person while speaking.

"Indeed I did, Master Malfoy," Ragnok answered, continuing with his earlier point as he told them, "For his crimes were not through: you see, second on the list of notices I received was that we had a falsified case of key handling while it seemed that Master Griphook was actually under the service of another; a wizard."

"No prizes for guessing whom that might be," Lucius hissed, earning a nod from Ragnok before he asked, "Anything else we should know?"

"Yes," answered Ragnok, "While under the service of this human, Master Griphook falsified authoritarian documents to seal the wills of Lilian and James Potter, authorise transfers from the vault of a _very_ prominent clientele family and, last but not least, went against my _direct_ orders and wishes from the owner of a certain vault who, for security purposes, I cannot name. However, I will also tell you that the vault in question was protected so deeply and forcefully under the instruction of the Grand High Arch-Mage of the International Confederacy of Wizards, Rameses Wulfgarden!"

"In other words," Draco muttered, showing his own knowledge as he explained, "Opening said vault was like signing his own death warrant."

"Apt, but correct, Master Malfoy," Ragnok nodded, then looking to Harry as he asked, "You know of the vault I speak of, Scion Potter?"

Harry nodded.

"Then I trust," Ragnok added, "That unless either the owner of that vault or Grand Master Wulfgarden gives you their own permissions to do so, you will say nothing to anyone that you do not trust about what you saw there."

"I…I…I won't sir," replied Harry, swallowing down his fears as best as he could, "I promise."

"I believe you," Ragnok told him, before he linked his hands together and, setting them on the table, he added, "Now, with these crimes taken care of and details made clear, I thought it only right to contact the necessary parties, including Scion Potter's magical guardian, who, despite the falsified claims of it being Albus Dumbledore, was in fact you, Lady Malfoy."

"I know," Narcissa told Ragnok, her voice edged by a hint of rage as she told him, "As Harry's godmother, any matters concerning guardianship and trustees should have been passed to me. However, since you told us that Lilian's and James'…"

"Excuse me?"

Several pairs of eyes looked to Harry, who shrank into his seat as he seemed to realise his mistake, but the curiosity that he felt was just too great; meeting the eyes of the goblin leader, Harry went on, "Everyone…everyone keeps calling my Mum Lilian, but her name's Lily, isn't it? And…and Narcissa also…also said that she's not my Aunt's sister, so…could someone please explain?"

"I would be glad to fill in the blanks for you, Scion Potter," Ragnok told him, before he rose from his seat and, moving to the many rolls of parchment along one wall, Ragnok tore off a large sheet before he took a dagger from a drawer beneath the shelves and, whispering words in a language Harry couldn't understand, he then returned to the desk.

Indicating the dagger and the parchment, Ragnok explained in a calm voice, "If you allow me to take a few drops of your blood, young scion, we can clear up this matter and reveal a truth to you that, for all intents and purposes, you should have been made aware of from the start."

Seeing the sharp weapon in Ragnok's hand made Harry's blood run cold, but as he swallowed down his fear, he felt Narcissa take his arm in support before she told him, "It's okay, Harry: it's just a quick small cut on your finger: Ragnok and no other goblins would ever harm someone they call a valued client without good reason."

'She wouldn't lie to me,' Harry thought, looking once to Narcissa before, with a heavy gulp that felt like he was swallowing a lump of ice, Harry held out his hand and watched as Ragnok quickly nicked the skin, drawing blood.

Once he'd taken it, Harry watched as Lucius healed the wound before Ragnok let the blood drip onto the parchment, which shone with a bright red light before words appeared on the page:

**BLOOD MAGICAL DNA RECOGNISED**

**NAME: **

_**Hadrian 'Harry' James Potter**_

**AGE: **

_**11 Years, 1 day**_

**BLOOD STATUS: **

_**Pureblood**_

**PARENTS: **

_**James Marcus Potter – deceased**_

_**Lilian Alexandra Potter nee Grindelwald (adopted under name of Lily Alexa Evans) – deceased**_

**GODPARENTS: **

_**Sirius Orion Black**_

_**Narcissa Vesta Malfoy**_

**MAGICAL ABILITIES: **

_**Wandless Magic Master: paternal/maternal – partially-blocked**_

_**Elemental: Shadow, Ice, Lightning: paternal/maternal/blood-blessing – partially-blocked**_

_**Parseltongue: blessing/maternal – partially-blocked**_

_**Duelling Prodigy: maternal/paternal – partially-blocked**_

_**Natural Occlumens/Legilimens: maternal/paternal – partially-blocked**_

_**Healing Magic: paternal – partially-blocked**_

_**Blood Magic: maternal – partially-blocked**_

_**Shadow Magic: maternal – partially-blocked**_

_**Familiar's bond – unformed**_

**OTHER INFORMATION:**

**Blood bonds detected: source of bond – Draco Alexander Malfoy, Neville Franklin Longbottom.**

**Status of bonds: blood-brothers, formed, but sealed**

**Weakened magical blocks detected around core**

**Life-Debt owed to Harry James Potter from Severus Tobias Snape**

**Curse Magic detected**

"What's Curse Magic?" asked Harry, his eyes wide as he looked at the information, but not as much as Lucius and Narcissa were both gaping with shock in their eyes.

As for Draco, he was doing a pretty good impression of a startled fish as he looked to Harry before he asked, "We're…blood-brothers?"

"Like a family?" asked Harry, earning a nod from Draco, but it was Lucius who spoke next.

"Draco was only an infant when your parents suggested performing the bond," explained the Malfoy Lord, his eyes narrowed as he added, "Though I never once suspected that we had such bonds with the likes of the Longbottoms."

"Unless _we_ don't," Draco argued, earning a nod from Narcissa as he added, "Maybe it's just Harry, but still…blimey, Harry: you're related to Grindelwald?"

"His grandson," Narcissa added, earning a look from Lucius while she explained, "Lilian told me the truth at her wedding to James: she didn't want anyone unworthy knowing because of how Grindelwald was portrayed as a dark wizard, but still, this explains so much that it makes me laugh to think I never saw it before."

"And what's with all these blocks?" asked Lucius, indicating the list of abilities, "An Elemental, a Healer and a prodigy in the art of Nethermancy and Blood Magic."

"What's…N-N… what Lucius said?" asked Harry, a little confused by their shock, but still, at least now he knew.

"Nethermancy is the magical term for the arts surrounding the Shadow Elemental," explained Ragnok, his voice calm, but edged by amusement as he saw the disbelief in the young wizard's gaze, "The status of your blocks that have been forged around your core are weakening because of your close vicinity to the young master Malfoy. Undoubtedly, Scion Potter, your magic recognises one another for who you truly are and seeks to make it right."

"And Harry also has a familiar?" asked Draco, earning a nod from Ragnok before he explained to Harry's confused gaze, "Most witches and wizards out there have often claimed to find their true familiar, but when a bond is really recognised, it's usually from birth. Sometimes, in the case of elemental magic or abilities like yours, Harry, your familiar can reflect that power and match you soul for soul, creating a true bond. If someone actually sealed your familiar's ability to find you, then it's a hate-crime far worse than anything that even the darkest of wizards could do."

Harry put his head in his hands, feeling a light tingle of pain run across his forehead before, with a groan, he asked, "What…what does this mean now? Am…am I a dark wizard or…or what?"

"That's your decision, really," admitted Lucius, watching as Narcissa gently soothed Harry's nerves and aches with a soft massage to his temples, "But all that you need to know for now is that we will all do what we can to help you, Harry: that's a promise that I give to you not only as a distant member of your circle, but also as Narcissa's husband and Draco's Father."

Harry smiled graciously before Ragnok continued, "Now that you know the truth of your abilities, Scion Potter, I think it only fair that a gift be given to you: one that was meant to be given to you when you walked into the bank this morning."

Lifting himself from Narcissa's embrace, Harry watched as Ragnok withdrew a long, thin box that, as he unfastened the clasps on the box, the goblin leader revealed a beautiful-looking, but also-dangerous-looking black-wood wand, certain parts of the wand holding a strange elderberry design.

"Merlin's beard!" gasped Lucius, looking to a sombre Narcissa before he asked, "Is…is that what I think it is?"

"A wand," answered Ragnok, indicating Harry as he told him, "One that has passed through the hands of your Mother's family for many decades and centuries, Scion Potter: it is made from a very rare and unique wood known as Elder with the core of a Thestral's tail hair and a solidified core of a crystallised phoenix tear. It was your Mother's, her Father's and now, as the only living heir, it is yours."

With that, Ragnok handed the wand to Harry and, as the young wizard took the wand, he felt a warm, powerful tingle run up his arm before his green eyes shone with magic, his hair standing on end while his blood seemed to rush with excitement and power.

"Your Mother would be in tears if she could see you now," Narcissa muttered, watching as Harry held the wand steadily, his gaze and expression still one of awe as Narcissa brushed Harry's hair aside as she added one last point:

"I know she'd be proud of you too…and so are we, Harry."

**A short chapter 2, but one that gives the right sort of idea: so, Harry's **_**Grindelwald's**_** heir, but what does this have to do with Tom and what are the secrets of his past?**

**Also, how will Harry and Draco adjust to a third member of their group and does Neville know of his 'brothers' and their reunion?**

**Keep Reading to Find Out**

**Next Chapter: Malfoy Manor and Draco makes Harry a promise as our young hero finds a new home with his guardians; plus, there's trouble on both ends as Lucius makes a mistake while Narcissa receives a visitor; also, Draco introduces Harry to a certain friend who seems to have a greater sense of loyalty for Harry than Draco while Lucius makes a plan…to take a little trip;**

**Please Read and Review**

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Legacy**_

**So there we go then: now I know some of you may be miffed about what I've done, but at the end of the day…just read the note at the top of the page. Anyway, I chose Grindelwald to add an air of mystery and prodigal power about Harry that will come out over time: there is a reason I gave him **_**three**_** elemental powers, but I'll save the explanation for the chapter;**

_**AN2: Draco and Neville**_

**So how did you all like that little surprise then? I wanted to keep Harry and Draco united and, at the same time, show a reason for things to progress as I plan on making them; at the same time, there's another little explanation needed there, but it'll come after a while;**

_**AN3: Familiar and Hedwig**_

**Okay, so to save someone asking in a review, yes, Harry will get Hedwig, but she is **_**not**_** his familiar; after leaving my familiar's poll open overnight, I've had an idea that, while it will sound **_**really**_** weird, is also funny because of the idea itself: want to know more?**

**Then keep reading…**


	3. Malfoy Manor

Dark Shadows

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or any of its associated characters; all rights belong to JK Rowling; I do own any OC spells explained at the end of a chapter.

**Plot: **Seeing is Believing Challenge Response: Dark secrets, a new chance at a life he should have lived and shocking revelations concerning his family set Harry Potter on a path into the dark areas of magic, but, to him, there is no good and evil, there is only magic and those worthy to wield it.

**Added Note: **Now, since I _know_ that some people will either complain about repetitions of my old work, I'll just say it again: if you don't like it, then don't read it.

To quote advice from one of my good friends:

_**There is a HUGE difference between constructive criticism and someone who is being rude. I DO NOT like it when people do nothing but complain about my stories. If my story is not your cup of tea then do us both a favor and do not read it. To be ugly about each chapter and never say anything nice is not only annoying, but it is extremely rude. **_

_**I go out of my way to please my readers. I cannot please everyone. In the end, there is really only one person who needs to be pleased. That person would be me.**_

Okay?

So, if for any reason this story doesn't fit your liking, then either go and read something else, or even better, write your own stories; that's what FFN is for, after all. I'm not JK Rowling, so I don't put the characters the same as those brilliant books and films, but still, I am the same as any writer with my work being targeted by negative comments, abusive remarks and, worse of all, plain-minded opinions telling me it's stupid, disbelieving, wrong or just plain ignorant.

Hello?

It's called FAN-FICTION-dot-net for a reason…

Sorry for my little rant there, my loyal readers; I just needed to get that off my chest before we get into the story: so, let's go…

**Dedication: **I'd like to dedicate this story to everyone that's been on that very rocky road with me throughout the year and helped keep my spirits up with all my stories; my recommended reads are _A Familiar's Intuition_ by Dragonsrule18, _Silver Tongue_ by Shadow Hidden By The Moon and _Rewind of Time_ by StormyFireDragon: three amazing stories, the first of which inspired the challenge and this story, so an added thanks to _Dragonsrule18_ for that.

**Key Pairing: **Eventual Harry/Tracey; Eventual Draco/Hermione; Lucius/Narcissa

**Other Pairings: **Eventual Neville/Daphne; Eventual Blaise/Luna; Mentions of Lily/James

Normal Speech

'Thought'

/_Parseltongue_/

**Review Answers:**

**Alucard hellsing: You'll find out soon what sort of reactions the senile old fool has gotten;**

**WhiteElfElder: As if I'd actually let the old git get away with it;**

**EndlessChains: His wand, which he **_**thinks**_** is the Elder Wand, but come on, I mean would you believe Grindelwald so blind to the possibility of his wand being stolen from him when **_**he**_** stole it to begin with?**

**StormyFireDragon: Yes, possibly and, unfortunately, Storm, not quite yet; also, Tom actually has quite the twist on canon concerning Harry, but I don't want to give away too much yet;**

**Daithi4377: Well the bond and reasons for it are going to be explained soon, but your guess about Harry, Draco and Neville is actually spot-on, so well done for the guess;**

**Whitebuffalowmn: I appreciate the compliment;**

"_I know she'd be proud of you too…and so are we, Harry."_

Chapter 3: Malfoy Manor

Following the business at Gringotts, which involved Narcissa using something Harry learned to be called a Blood Quill to cement her claim as his guardian, the Malfoys left with their new ward in tow, Harry still feeling surprised and confused, but Narcissa had promised him that she'd explain everything when they were home.

Hearing the h-word had actually set Harry's nerves off once more, but not before Draco, who stayed close to Harry in a show of support that likely came from their bond, took his hand and, shushing his gasps and fears, he told Harry, "You're never going back to them, Harry: Mum won't let it and Dad will do whatever it takes to stop them."

Maybe it was the bond or maybe it was because Harry was actually starting to trust Draco, but something made the dark-haired Potter Heir believe his blood-brother.

As the Malfoys led him and Draco along the Alleys, going into stores that Harry had never even heard of and yet seemed to understand their purpose, the young wizard also couldn't help but feel his heart grow warm at the thought that crossed his mind.

A brother!

He actually had a brother.

Well, as Lucius had explained to him on their way out of Gringotts, maybe not an _actual_ brother, but the blood that bound Harry, Draco and this Neville person together in brotherhood was as good as. Such bonds were usually reserved for signs of great and lasting friendship between Houses and, though Draco wasn't sure that he was also bonded with Neville in blood, Harry told his blonde-haired brother that he wouldn't see him any different.

Harry had never had a brother and now he had two, magically-speaking, so he wasn't about to lose either of them.

One of their last stops on the day through the Alleys was the wandmaker's shop, Ollivanders, where as they walked in, Lucius placed a gentle hand on Harry's shoulder before he told him, "We don't need to go in there, Harry, not now that you have your wand already. So why don't we go and look at the owls and such in the Magical Menagerie and you can have any one that you want as a birthday present?"

"Oh, o-okay Lucius," replied Harry, walking away from the wandmaker's and, in turn, away from Draco: however, even as they entered the Magical Menagerie, Harry could almost feel a sense of comfort rise in his heart as though his magic was telling him that his brother was still with him.

As they walked amongst the many cages and holding pens where the animals were being kept, Harry found himself lost in the awe, wonder and mystery that seemed to come out from each of the animals around him. Even as he walked with Lucius behind him, Harry could feel their eyes watching him and, in some cases, he heard soft snuffles as the animals seemed to inspect him as much as he was inspecting them.

Finally, at the back-left hand side of the store, Harry stopped and peered into a cage where a beautiful, but fierce-looking white snowy owl was resting peacefully, one of her wings hiding her head and eyes as she slept.

"This one?" asked Lucius, earning a nod from Harry before the Malfoy Lord picked the cage from the rail it hung on: the motion seemed to startle the owl, but, when she looked at Harry, her eyes reminding him of the colour of amber and bronze, she seemed to become strangely calm and even let Harry reach in – though he did so slightly shakily – to soothe her with gentle strokes along her feathered breast.

As Lucius went to pay for the owl, Harry gulped as he exclaimed, "W-Wait, I…I can pay for her."

"Harry," Lucius told him, his voice soft, but edged by the same hint of rage and annoyance that he'd held when Harry first revealed himself, "She's a gift, remember?"

"O-oh," Harry replied, actually forgetting that point for a moment before he went to wait outside: leaning against the wall of the store, the young wizard hid his eyes so that no-one could see his shame – or his scar: he'd had enough gawking for one day – as he felt his heart grow cold.

How could he have been so stupid as to forget Lucius' gift?

'How,' a little voice whispered in his ear, the voice sounding rather like his _Uncle_ as he was told, 'Because you remembered…like a good boy: freaks don't deserve gifts.'

"No," whispered Harry, "They don't…so why do they still want to help me?"

Silence was his answer…

_**Dark Shadows**_

When Draco and Narcissa caught up with Lucius and Harry, both of them looked a little saddened by Harry's change in demeanour: as Lucius explained what had gone on in the store, Draco once again comforted Harry while Lucius and Narcissa ordered a late lunch for everyone at the Leaky Cauldron.

While they waited for Lucius and Narcissa to return, Harry went with his instincts as he asked, "Draco…why are your parents being so kind to me?"

"Because they can," answered Draco, helping Harry sit comfortably in his chair as he told the dark-haired boy, "And because your parents trusted them to look after you: now that it's set in stone, we get that chance and, as your blood-brother _and_ your friend, I promise you that I'm not going to let anything or anyone stop me from helping. As for Mother and Father, they do so because they want you to be safe, be strong and remember always just how special and how innocent you are in all this."

"But…but I'm a freak," argued Harry, earning a sudden pursing of the lips from Draco while his hand had moved from Harry's arm as he clenched his fist. Seeing the reaction, Harry gulped as he asked, "Are…are you going to hit me? It's okay, you know: I'm used to it."

What happened next even surprised Harry: Draco rose from his seat and, crossing to the bar, he spoke in a low, whispered voice with his Father, who suddenly nodded and, looking to Tom the barman, he explained, "Apologies, Thomas: it seems business has called us away. Cancel our order if you'd be so kind?"

"Of course, Mr Malfoy," replied the friendly man, giving a curt nod to Harry as he refunded the Malfoys and, watching them leave, a sigh escaped him as he added, "At least he's safe now."

_**Dark Shadows**_

When Lucius left with Draco and Harry in tow, Narcissa remained pretty close to Harry as they took a mode of magical transport that made Harry feel both dizzy and a bit sick before he found them standing in front of a beautiful-looking manor house. The grounds were well-kept and looked like something out of a fairy-tale with the roving white peacocks and water fountains that highlighted the entranceway.

As Lucius walked forwards, Harry got another little surprise as he saw the Malfoy Lord pass straight through the gates as though they were never there to begin with and Lucius was just smoke.

"Neat little trick for most houses," Narcissa explained, easing Harry through the gate as she told him, "Works on anyone keyed into the wards as you have been since the day your parents blood-bonded you and Draco."

Harry just blinked as Lucius led them into the house, revealing even more of its splendour, before he turned and, looking to Narcissa, he asked, "Would you mind going to check on the elves for us, Cissy? I'd like to speak to Harry alone."

Harry suddenly felt fear rise in his chest, but Narcissa's gentle touch on his shoulder seemed to soothe those fears as she walked past her husband, whispering something Harry couldn't quite make out as she did so.

As Draco moved closer to Harry as though he too feared what was going to happen, Lucius nodded to the long stairway behind him as he told them, "Follow me."

Both boys obeyed, Lucius now leading them to the upper floors where, towards the west side of the house, he revealed a large bedroom with an en-suite bathroom, private study and a balcony on the outside of the window that overlooked the beautiful gardens. The bedroom itself had a four-poster bed decorated in shades of blue and green that made it look like the ocean's depths as well as a walk-in wardrobe and privately-kept chest of drawers.

To Harry's surprise, his owl – whom he later named Hedwig – and his trunk were also already in the room, though his attention was returned to the present moment as Lucius asked, "Now, Harry: I'm not going to shout at you, but I have something to ask you, understand?"

Harry nodded silently.

"Yes," Lucius muttered, his voice edged by a warning tone as he asked, "Or no: did those…those _abominations_ known as Muggles ever…ever…_hit_ you?"

Harry's eyes widened, his gaze looking to Draco, who just lowered his head guiltily: with a horrified gasp, Harry asked, "How…how did you know? I didn't say anything, because no-one would believe me, so how…"

"Draconis," Lucius told his son, earning a wince from Draco at the name before he added, "Go and help your Mother: if Harry is going to panic, it would do for you to be elsewhere for now."

"Yes Father," Draco replied, leaving the room while Harry looked to the floor beneath Lucius: he didn't want the man to see his tears.

'Freaks don't deserve gifts,' the taunting voice whispered in his ear, 'And normal people should never see a freak's tears: charity gets them nowhere.'

"Harry?"

"I never said…" Harry told him, his voice shaky and edged with fear as he added, "It wasn't me…it was an accident…I'm just clumsy…I fell down…I should be grateful…it wasn't me…I never said…"

Kneeling down, Lucius took Harry's chin in-between his fingers and, lifting the boy's green eyes to meet his cold grey ones, he asked again, "Harry: yes or no; did they _ever_ hurt you?"

"No…" answered Harry, but as had been the case through most of the day, his voice trembled as he said it, "It was an accident…I never said that…I should be grateful…"

"Why?" asked Lucius.

"Because," answered Harry, "Normal people get hurt: freaks like me have accidents and are clumsy because it wastes their time."

Even Lucius didn't know why he did what he did next: all of a sudden, he just saw red!

With strength that he never knew he possessed, Lucius grabbed Harry and threw him _hard_ across the room, his eyes blazing with rage before the sound of flesh meeting solid wood broke him out of it, "HARRY!"

"I'm sorry…" wept Harry, unaware of the red mark left where his head had smacked the wood, "I didn't mean to…please don't hurt me again, Uncle…I didn't mean it…"

"_NARCISSA!_"

Lucius' bellowing cry was like thunder, but his rage was murderous and bloodthirsty to a point that it made his _former occupation_ look like Boy Scouts: when Narcissa arrived at the door, her eyes widened as she saw her godson curled up, the wound on his head now bleeding lightly on the ground.

Racing to his side, Narcissa held Harry, using her wand to cleanse the wound, before she asked, "What happened? What did you do, Lucius?"

"I…I don't actually know," admitted Lucius, "He…he seems to be under a…a delusion that he…he's not normal: then he said that he was…was a freak and…I just snapped: Cissy, you know I'd never hurt him, but…I couldn't stop myself!"

"Get out!" Narcissa snapped, her exclamation forcing her husband to flee like the devil himself was on his heels: Narcissa, meanwhile, looked down at the sobbing mess in her arms before, as she gently touched the knot that had formed on Harry's head, she asked softly, "Are you okay, little one?"

"I didn't mean to do it," Harry sobbed, his voice weak with fright as he exclaimed, "It was an accident…I'm sorry…I made him mad because I'm not normal…"

"That's not true," argued Narcissa, using her knowledge of magic to heal the wound completely before she told him, "You're not only normal, Harry, you're _brilliant!_ You have all those special gifts and such an amazing legacy and you have everything you need to make your life your own: how is that not normal?"

"Because normal people don't get hurt," Harry insisted, "And Lucius…he hurt me because…because my freakishness hurt him…it's the only reason. I did wrong: I deserved it."

"No you didn't!" exclaimed Narcissa, her eyes filled with rage as she then understood what it was about her husband's rage that had made it uncontrollable enough to turn on Harry like that.

As the small boy looked up at her, so much more became clear to the Malfoy matriarch: she understood his overhanging clothes, his unruly hair, his underfed status and, for the first time all day, she understood why it was that Harry had been so scared and unreadable about his nerves and fear.

Those Muggles had all but put the fear of Merlin himself into the boy.

"Mother?"

Looking up, Narcissa saw Draco standing in the doorway, a mix of sorrow and curiosity in his eyes as he saw Harry lying there in his Mother's arms.

Beckoning her son over, Narcissa smiled as she told him, "It's all right, Draco: I healed what happened, but why are you here? I thought you were waiting in the dining room."

"Father's left the Manor," Draco replied, earning a raised eyebrow from Narcissa as he added, "And he…he took the suit."

"The Armani?" asked Narcissa.

"No Mother," Draco answered, "The other suit."

"His Wizengamot robes?"

"No Mum!" Draco argued, his eyes now full of shock as he emphasised, "The _OTHER_ Suit!"

Narcissa suddenly went as pale as her hair, her heart racing with shock and fear as she realised what her son had implied.

Looking down at Harry, who had now reached out for Draco's hand in comfort and brotherhood, the Malfoy matriarch shushed his sobbing whispers while she wondered to herself, 'Oh Dursley Family: do you even realise what you have done?'

_**Dark Shadows**_

BANG!

Vernon and Petunia leapt out of their skins as the door to their home was blown clean off its hinges, a feeling of impending cold and darkness sweeping through the passageway to where both Dursleys had just finished making sure their _freak_ of a nephew could never again be disturbed by _his lot_.

"What are you doing here?" demanded Vernon, rounding on the dark-clothed figure that had stepped through the door, "Get out of my house: freaks like you aren't welcome here!"

"The _only_ freaks I see," snarled a deep, menacing voice from beneath the hood that accompanied the clothes, "Are _you_, Muggle, and your _bitch_ wife and son! How _dare_ you treat an innocent soul like you have done! And how _dare_ you think that he is anything less than a fellow human being!"

"He's a freak and an abomination!" exclaimed Petunia, then aware of the second figure joining the first, a long, thin wand raised as she hissed, "You can't do that here: I know _her_ ways! Spiteful cow is just as venomous as her _monster_ of an offspring: should have just drowned them both when we saw them."

"Thank you, Petunia," the second figure growled, watching as his companion repaired the door before he added, "That was all I needed to hear."

The clipped, darkly-deep tone of the man's voice seemed to suddenly turn Petunia's hair as white as a sheet while she exclaimed, "N-No: not _you!_ Not the _other_ freak! You left her: she spent all summer crying because of you! Said she'd never forgive you: why she bothered, I'll never know. You're as much a bastard as he is!"

"Perhaps," agreed the figure, now lowering the hood over his head to reveal a dark-haired, pale-skinned man with cold, dark eyes and a hooked nose, his robes seemingly billowing around him as his magic reacted to the information as he hissed, "But now that _bastard_ as you call him is safe and, if it's the last thing I do, I swear I will make him better…for her!"

"Do you want the first strike, Nocturne?" asked the first figure, then revealing his own platinum-blonde hair as well as cold grey eyes and a look that promised murderous retribution.

"Gladly, Argent," replied the dark man, lifting his wand as he told Petunia, "This is for what you did to them…_both_ of them: _Sectumsempra!_"

No-one on Privet Drive would _ever_ see the Dursleys again after that day…

_**Dark Shadows**_

By the time Lucius returned to the manor, Narcissa had calmed Harry down enough to help him downstairs to have some lunch with her and Draco;

Sat at the table, slowly picking at the light pasta salad that he was eating, Harry looked up as he heard the door before his eyes widened as he saw Lucius standing there, a wrapped parcel in one hand and the other holding his cane, though his fingers seemed to tremble with disbelieving amounts of nerves that only Harry himself had held.

"I'm sorry, Lucius," Harry muttered, returning his attention to his meal.

Lucius, however, ran to the table, dropping his cane in the process, before he wrapped both his arms around Harry, startling the boy while the Malfoy Lord told him, "No, child: _I_ am the one who should apologise: not since he was five years old have I ever harmed a child other than Draco and even then, it was only a light tap on his behind to keep him in line. What those monsters did to you is not only unforgivable, but inexcusable, and my reaction only made it worse."

Pulling away from Harry, Lucius took the boy's hands in his before he told him, "I would _never_ ever willingly cause lasting harm to a child, Harry, not even when I was…when I used to perform with a group of friends."

"Death Eaters?"

Lucius' eyes widened as he met Harry's gaze, but it was then he saw Draco hang his head in shame; narrowing his own eyes, Lucius asked, "Draco tell you?"

"I asked," Harry told him, his voice edged by a calm understanding as he explained, "I don't know more than what you were: an ally of…Voldemort, but I don't care either. You haven't cast me out and you welcomed me in: I don't care that you were with him…but why did you go like that?"

"To teach them a lesson they wouldn't forget," Lucius answered, his voice edged by determination as he added, "Anyway, as I was saying, Harry: I would never harm a child and I never will again: I know you may not understand what this means, but…for what I've done to you when I'm _meant_ to be helping to look after you, I, Lord Lucius Abraxas Malfoy, Head of the Noble House of Malfoy, swear on my magic that I shall never again harm or cast out Harry James Potter for as long as I shall live. With my family, he shall have a home and with my future, he shall have allies and resources: in this manner, I pledge myself to his cause, whatever that may be. With my honour, I do decree, now and forever, so mote it be."

"So…so mote it be," replied Harry, a little shocked at how he'd known what to say, but even more surprised at Lucius' pledge as he looked to Draco, who just shrugged before he returned to his own meal.

"Now," Lucius told him, running a soft hand through Harry's dark hair, "I am yours, Harry: in fealty, which is sort of like a _very_ powerful promise. You are my superior and my better and, unless you say otherwise, I cannot ignore your needs, wishes or desires. So, in light of that, I got you this."

Handing Harry the parcel, Lucius watched as the boy opened it, revealing a black book with silver writing printed across the front page:

_Everything You Wanted to Know About Nethermancy But Were Too Afraid to Ask by CS Corvin_

"S…Shadow Magic?" asked Harry, earning a nod from Lucius as he pressed the book into the boy's hands.

"You have the gifts, Harry," Lucius told him, his voice edged by calm comfort as he explained, "And, no matter how long it takes me, I will do everything I can to help you master them."

"Thank…thank you, Lucius," Harry gulped as he said the words, before he looked over to Narcissa as he asked, "May…may I be excused, Ma'am?"

Narcissa's eyes widened, but she nodded and, when Harry left to return to his room, she looked to Lucius as she asked, "He _did_ say _ma'am, _right?"

"Cockney slang from the old Victorian days for a lady of standing," explained Lucius, knowing that the way Harry had said it was the reason for his wife's shock.

Because, for a moment, it sounded like he had called her _Mum_…

**Chapter 3 and justice has been dealt out for Harry, but who was the other man and what does he know about our hero?**

**Also, will Lucius be able to hold onto his vow when Harry crosses paths with a certain Dark Lord and can Harry **_**really**_** ignore Lucius' allegiances?**

**Keep Reading to Find Out**

**Next Chapter: As Harry prepares to call it a night, Narcissa receives a visitor, but she's not holding back where her ward is concerned; also, Draco introduces Harry to a certain friend who seems to have a greater sense of loyalty for Harry than Draco while the young Grindelwald Heir begins looking into Nethermancy…**

**Please Read and Review**

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Lucius and his companion**_

**Okay, so this chapter introduced a certain someone and, as things go on, you'll learn a bit more – like the names used by them – but I wanted to show that…**_**that**_** person wasn't against Harry this time; besides, who else would Lucius go to in order to exact justice?**

_**AN2: Harry's address of Narcissa**_

**Yes, this does mean what people think it does and, if you listen to olden-times speech tones in saying the word 'Ma'am' you might see it does sound like Mum. In fact, some figures of authority still use it today e.g. police force, detectives etc.**

_**AN3: Harry's knowledge**_

**Okay, so though I mostly base appearances and stuff on the movies, in this story, Harry was told the truth back in the hut on the rock with Hagrid; he was just surprised by Narcissa because no-one told him about his Mother or Father's friends that much…**

_**AN4: Quote**_

**One last thing: the dialogue between Draco and his Mother about Lucius' 'Other Suit' is inspired a very similar scene from Batman Forever, so all rights to the original creators for that: it just added a bit of fun and chills to the chapter, I felt;**


	4. Another New Friend

Dark Shadows

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or any of its associated characters; all rights belong to JK Rowling; I do own any OC spells explained at the end of a chapter.

**Plot: **Seeing is Believing Challenge Response: Dark secrets, a new chance at a life he should have lived and shocking revelations concerning his family set Harry Potter on a path into the dark areas of magic, but, to him, there is no good and evil, there is only magic and those worthy to wield it.

**Added Note: **Now, since I _know_ that some people will either complain about repetitions of my old work, I'll just say it again: if you don't like it, then don't read it.

To quote advice from one of my good friends:

_**There is a HUGE difference between constructive criticism and someone who is being rude. I DO NOT like it when people do nothing but complain about my stories. If my story is not your cup of tea then do us both a favor and do not read it. To be ugly about each chapter and never say anything nice is not only annoying, but it is extremely rude. **_

_**I go out of my way to please my readers. I cannot please everyone. In the end, there is really only one person who needs to be pleased. That person would be me.**_

Okay?

So, if for any reason this story doesn't fit your liking, then either go and read something else, or even better, write your own stories; that's what FFN is for, after all. I'm not JK Rowling, so I don't put the characters the same as those brilliant books and films, but still, I am the same as any writer with my work being targeted by negative comments, abusive remarks and, worse of all, plain-minded opinions telling me it's stupid, disbelieving, wrong or just plain ignorant.

Hello?

It's called FAN-FICTION-dot-net for a reason…

Sorry for my little rant there, my loyal readers; I just needed to get that off my chest before we get into the story: so, let's go…

**Dedication: **I'd like to dedicate this story to everyone that's been on that very rocky road with me throughout the year and helped keep my spirits up with all my stories; my recommended reads are _A Familiar's Intuition_ by Dragonsrule18, _Silver Tongue_ by Shadow Hidden By The Moon and _Rewind of Time_ by StormyFireDragon: three amazing stories, the first of which inspired the challenge and this story, so an added thanks to _Dragonsrule18_ for that.

**Key Pairing: **Eventual Harry/Tracey; Eventual Draco/Hermione; Lucius/Narcissa

**Other Pairings: **Eventual Neville/Daphne; Eventual Blaise/Luna; Mentions of Lily/James

Normal Speech

'Thought'

/_Parseltongue_/

**Review Answers:**

**Alucard hellsing: Well given the crazy, but fun idea I have, the familiar won't actually be appearing for a short while yet;**

**DragonTamer01: I'll actually reveal what happened to the Dursleys soon, but I'm glad you're enjoying the story;**

**WhiteElfElder: Well think about it: Lucius is a Father who also spent years with someone who was hurt and abused before being turned into the dark-minded guy we know and love: why else would he react like that?**

**StormyFireDragon: Thanks for pointing that out, Storm: I can't believe I missed such an obvious mistake;**

**Daithi4377: Well I know that it was obvious, but I wasn't asking anyone to identify him: anyway, there's a mystery within the mystery there, but I won't say too much yet: **_**spoilers**_**.**

**ALSO: To everyone that figured out it was Severus Snape with Lucius: I wasn't **_**actually**_** asking you to tell me who it was because it was so obvious; I was just saying that the two would go ahead with this together. Also, as one reviewer – daithi4377 – guessed in their review about Snape, **_**yes**_**, in this story, Lily **_**did**_** forgive Severus and he knows about it and that's why he's pro-Harry and not against him;**

**You'll find out the details in due time, but that's the basics;**

"_May…may I be excused, Ma'am?"_

_Narcissa's eyes widened, but she nodded and, when Harry left to return to his room, she looked to Lucius as she asked, "He did say ma'am, right?"_

"_Cockney slang from the old Victorian days for a lady of standing," explained Lucius, knowing that the way Harry had said it was the reason for his wife's shock._

_Because, for a moment, it sounded like he had called her Mum…_

Chapter 4: Another New Friend

By the time Draco had finished his dinner, he felt a sense of disbelieving curiosity well up inside him as he considered what he'd overheard his parents talking about concerning Harry's last words.

Like his Father, Draco knew of the way that the expression sounded from the old days, but at the same time, the Malfoy Heir couldn't help but wonder if Harry had intentionally used the expression as some sort of query about how he could see his guardians.

Given that him and Draco were blood-brothers, the young Malfoy could say with the utmost certainty that it would be something that his parents would allow and, on top of that, Harry had never really known a Mother's love and yet, here and now, was Narcissa Malfoy treating him like her own child.

'Still,' thought Draco as he excused himself from the table – a part of him knowing Harry hadn't really needed to ask either – before he made his way up to his room, 'Again, I wonder if this has something to do with our bond, because I've never seen Mum treat any other boy the way she treats Harry.'

As he approached the door to his room, Draco stopped and looked through the gap in the door that led into Harry's room: he could see the young wizard sat at the end of the bed, one leg curled up while the other stretched out in front of him. Held on the curled leg, Draco could see the book that his Father had given Harry, the green eyes of the dark-haired Grindelwald Heir scanning its pages with a new and improved state of mind that Draco had never seen on his friend's face.

With a soft smile, Draco knocked once on the door, his eyes catching sight of Harry hurriedly moving to store the book away before he remarked, "Come…come in."

"You don't have to hide it, Harry," Draco told his brother as he walked into the bedroom, his eyes looking to the spot under the pillow where Harry had stored the book. "Did you leave the table because you wanted to study?"

With a sheepish expression on his face, Harry nodded, though Draco had a distinct feeling that, unlike his parents, Harry wasn't as nervous around Draco about being the child that he was.

Heaving a sigh, Draco then asked, "Did…did _they_ make you do that?"

"No," answered Harry, retrieving the book as he explained, "They…they didn't like it…it if I was…if I was doing better than Dudley, s-s-so…so I learned to…to hide my knowledge, but…I couldn't help it, Draco. When…when your Dad gave me the book, I…I couldn't wait."

"And you thought that if you started studying it there and then, Mum and Dad would think you were trying to be better than me," Draco finished, earning a sad nod of the head from his blood-brother.

Draco shook his head before, crossing the room, he stopped in front of Harry and pressed the book against his chest, his grey eyes shining as he told the dark-haired wizard, "Academically-speaking, Harry, you _are_ better than me: you have access to gifts that most wizards could only ever _dream_ of learning about. It doesn't bother me that you have these gifts and, if I can, I'll do whatever it takes to help you learn about them and master them. After all, we're brothers, aren't we?"

Harry nodded again.

"Then don't hide it," Draco told him, lifting Harry's chin so that his honorary little brother could meet his gaze, "Show it, flaunt it: Merlin, Harry, do anything you want with it, just don't squander or abandon these gifts. Clearly, from how you were looking through that book with a hunger that I can only think of one family member to compare to, you have a knack for research and study, so don't hide it, okay?"

Harry just nodded before he looked down and, with a shuddering breath, he then asked, "Draco, about…about Lucius."

"You know who he is now," Draco told him, his voice edged by determination and comfort as he told Harry, "But you now also know that he can't and won't harm you: the oath he swore forbids it. If you wanted to, Harry, _you_ could make him bow to you and obey your every whim and desire, but I know you won't do that, because you know what it means to be servant to another, am I right?"

A slow nod was his answer.

"Then relax," Draco continued, patting Harry on the shoulder as he explained, "Father won't turn on you even if a certain someone were to walk the earth once more. He'll follow you, little brother, to hell and back: he will do what _you_ ask and your enemies shall be his…and why are you smiling?"

Harry _was_ smiling, but it wasn't out of fear or nerves: instead, he looked genuinely happy for the first time in a few hours.

"Can…" asked Harry, looking up again at Draco as he asked, "Can you call me that again, Drake?"

'Drake?' thought Draco, a little confused by Harry's question before realisation hit him, 'I could get used to it.'

Still with his hand on Harry's shoulder, he told him, "It's what you deserve to be called…little brother."

Harry's smile made Draco realise that this moment of this day was a new beginning for Harry.

It was like the old expression said: _today is the first day of the rest of your life._

_**Dark Shadows**_

Downstairs, Lucius and Narcissa were still trying to come to terms with Harry's little slip of the tongue, the Malfoy matriarch finding it harder than her husband as she had felt such strong maternal emotions towards the child already.

But for him to use that title and call her it…Narcissa didn't want to take away what Lily had sacrificed for her child, but at the same time, she didn't want to make Harry feel uncomfortable. She knew that Lucius would say that it was up to Harry to ask her if it was all right to use the title, but until then, Narcissa had a new mission: she would make that little boy grow into the proud and powerful young sorcerer that he was inside and, along the way, she would give him all the comforts of home and, though he wouldn't say it yet, she'd still treat him as her child.

After all, he _was_ her godson and, if she knew a certain cousin of hers, she could bet that, had things been different, said person would dote on Harry like he was prince of the world.

As the two Malfoys finished with their own meals, a soft pop made Lucius look over the desk before he saw a small, grey-skinned creature that was dressed in a pillowcase, large tennis-ball green eyes looking up at Lucius and Narcissa with expectant care.

"What is it, Dobby?" asked Lucius softly, taking a sip from his glass of wine – a tradition of his with every evening meal.

"Master and Mistress have a guest, Sir Malfoy," explained the creature in a high-pitched, slightly-excitable voice, "Shall Dobby ensure Young Masters are away?"

"Who is the guest?" asked Narcissa.

"Headmaster Dumb and Mistress Bones, Lady Malfoy," replied Dobby, earning a scowl from Narcissa before she rose and, moving to the door of her dining hall, she tried to rein in her fury as she turned to Dobby.

"Keep a close eye on Harry and Draco and don't let them leave the room," Narcissa explained, earning an obedient bow from Dobby before he vanished with another soft pop, leaving Lucius to rise from his seat as Narcissa added, "Keep it under control, Luc: we can't lose him now."

"My dear," Lucius replied, putting a comforting arm around his wife's waist before he kissed her cheek lightly as he explained, "The Devil himself could not keep Harry from us, especially not now that I would walk through Hell itself to get him back."

With that, the two Malfoys went to greet their guests…

_**Dark Shadows**_

When Draco, who had been unpacking and preparing the last of his own purchases from Diagon Alley, heard the cry of alarm from his honorary sibling, he practically _flew_ across the hallway to Harry's room. Entering the room, Draco then sighed as he saw the strange, but loyal little creature known as Dobby standing between Harry and the door out of the room.

"Down Dobby!" commanded Draco, earning a soft nod from the creature before he told Harry, "It's okay, Harry: Dobby is a House Elf, a sort of staff member for the Noble and Ancient Families out there."

"What…what…what does he want?" asked Harry shakily, earning a shrug from Draco as he crossed the room and, sitting next to Harry, he gently placed his hand in Harry's as he calmed his panicked friend and sibling.

"Mother and Father must have asked him to come up here," explained Draco, looking to Dobby for confirmation. When the elf nodded, Draco went on, "House Elves have a magical sort of symbiotic bond with the magical essence of families: as long as they're bound to a family, they are strong, mostly-healthy and ready to do whatever is needed or asked of them by their…their masters."

"So they're servants?" asked Harry, earning a nod from Draco before he asked, "Don't…don't they get freedom? Or payments? Or anything?"

"Dobby and his elves are paid by the magic of our masters, Master Harry," answered the excitable elf, earning another nod from Draco.

"He's right," Draco agreed, "Elves, well…I should say House Elves, have no real need for material possessions or monetary values: their payment comes from the magic that they have in synch with their families. Dobby, for example, serves and obeys all three of us and has done for…well, actually for going on eleven years now."

"Then…" asked Harry shakily, "Why…why does he wear…_that?_"

"Some elves have uniforms assigned or granted to them by their masters," explained Draco, watching as Harry seemed to become calmer now that he was being told about the situation, "But Dobby, for some reason, only ever wore that case: he keeps it clean, obviously, but whenever we offered him the same sort of uniform as our other Elves, he declined. Of course, you _never_ want to offer a House Elf actual clothes as it's a sign of freedom and that, for a House Elf, is as bad as a death sentence."

"So…" Harry then asked, now addressing the elf as he asked him, "Why…why do you wear that, Dobby?"

"Dobby is bound to Master Malfoy's family, Master Harry," explained Dobby proudly, "But Dobby has only been with Malfoys for a small time: Dobby was bequeathed to Malfoys by former Great Master."

"Bequeathed?" asked Harry.

"It means offered in…" Draco began, before he trailed off with wide eyes as he whispered, "In a will…no…it couldn't be…"

"What?" asked Harry.

Looking to his blood-brother, Draco sighed before he swallowed as he replied, "N-Nothing, just…could you go and put your hand on Dobby's brow, Harry?"

With a nod of confusion, Harry moved towards Dobby and, placing his hand on the elf's head, he asked, "Now what?"

"Say you accept him," Draco answered, "But be sure to use your full name."

"Oh…o-okay," nodded Harry, taking a breath as he explained, "I-I-I, Harry James Potter…um…accept Dobby the House Elf…"

The words were no sooner out of his mouth before Dobby and Harry were enveloped in a flash of light; when the light faded, Dobby's pillowcase was gone: in its place was a black outfit with red, gold, silver and green highlights in an almost X-like shape on Dobby's shoulders.

While Harry stepped back with shock, Dobby bowed low as he asked, "How does Master Harry wish Dobby to help him?"

"I was right," Draco whispered, looking to a stunned Harry as he explained, "Dobby belonged to someone before us, Harry: ask him who that was."

"Erm…D-Dobby?" asked Harry, his eyes still wide with disbelief as he asked, "Who…who was your…your previous Master?"

"Great Master James Potter, sir," answered Dobby, earning a gasp from Harry while Draco nodded solemnly as Dobby continued, "Great Master left Dobby to the Malfoys to help raise and protect his young master, Harry Potter. But Dobby is sad, sir, because Young Master is not the great wizard he is meant to be: Harry Potter is scared, alone and unloved…Dobby is a bad elf!"

"No you're not!" exclaimed Harry before he could stop himself: at the same time, it looked like Dobby was about to bang his head against the wall of the room as Harry continued, "What…what's happened isn't…isn't your fault, Dobby: so please, don't punish yourself for what you couldn't control."

"Kettle, Pot; come in Pot," muttered Draco, earning a confused, but accusing glare from Harry; with a rue shrug, Draco continued, "Well it's true, Harry: you're blaming yourself for what _you_ couldn't control and you're letting the results of that blame turn you into a frightened rabbit of a sorcerer. The only one you're not frightened with is me and, while I appreciate that, I also know that Mum and Dad will _never_ let anything bad happen to you, yet here you are, letting the thoughts and experiences of those Muggles rule your life."

Harry's eyes widened with shock: Draco was right!

He _was_ letting the thoughts of his time with the Dursleys rule his life, but still, here were people that loved him, wanted him around and also wanted him to smile, laugh, have fun and even study until the knowledge came pouring out of his ears. He'd seen Narcissa's disapproving look when he'd barely eaten at dinner and he knew that Lucius was sorry for what he'd done in a moment of anger.

Narcissa wasn't Petunia and Lucius wasn't Vernon…and as for Draco?

He _certainly_ wasn't Dudley: not only had he treated Harry like the friend and blood-brother that he was, he'd also called Harry his actual brother and helped him become more…well, _more._

And this is how he thanks them?

Turning to face Draco completely, Harry gulped as he asked, "Can…I mean, is it too late to…to say sorry?"

"No," Draco answered, smiling fondly as he told him, "Because there's nothing for you to be sorry about, Harry: they did this to you and now you have the chance to wipe the slate clean. Turn yourself around and become the great man and brilliant wizard that you are inside: and, if it means seeing you smile and open up, then I promise you that I'll never leave your side, not even when we go to Hogwarts, okay?"

Harry nodded, before he turned and, looking again to Dobby, the dark-haired wizard asked, "Why did Narcissa ask you to come up here, Dobby?"

"Miss Cissy has a guest, Master Harry," answered Dobby, his voice edged by pride as he explained, "Missy Bones and Headmaster Dumbo-door!"

Draco had to move very quickly to stop Harry from leaving the room in a fit of anger…

_**Dark Shadows**_

When Narcissa and Lucius reached the front of their manor estate, both of them were a little displeased to see that Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts, had come with cockiness and certainty in his movements. Next to him, Madam Amelia Bones, the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement – also known as the DMLE – gave a curt nod and a friendly smile to Narcissa as both Malfoys greeted their guests out of common courtesy.

At least courtesy towards the senile, demented old son-of-an-unmarried-goat that had _dared_ leave their ward with the monsters; as for Amelia, she was an old friend of the family and someone that Narcissa trusted deeply; _she_, at least, was always welcome at Malfoy Manor.

"Amelia," Narcissa greeted the woman, giving her a friendly smile in return as she added, "_Headmaster_ Dumbledore: what brings you to our home?"

Lucius, out of years of seeing expressions and reactions on the faces of his _old workmates_, easily picked out Dumbledore's hardened glare as Narcissa drawled out his title, her expression and tone telling the others assembled that the Malfoy Lady was _not_ out for wasting time or making excuses.

Amelia, it seemed, agreed with the statement as she asked, "Sorry to disturb you without calling first, Narcissa, but we received intelligence pertaining to one Harry James Potter that says he is here at Malfoy Manor, is that right?"

"It is," Narcissa answered, her own expression much like the icy persona she had often shown as a child – with _certain_ exceptions for friends, of course – before she added, "When Lucius, Draco and I were in Diagon Alley, we found Harry being escorted around the Alley by Rubeus Hagrid, who told us that he was there on _your_ orders after retrieving Harry from the Muggles he was left with."

Dumbledore looked thunderous as the truth came out, but Amelia looked horrified as she looked to Dumbledore before returning her attention to Narcissa as she asked, "P…P…Petunia?"

Narcissa nodded and Amelia swore heavily, her eyes filled with rage now as she turned on Dumbledore before she asked, "You mean to tell me that you spin some yarn about kidnapping and false pretences and, all this time, I _now_ learn that Harry was left with _her?_ Lily and James' will…"

"Was sealed," finished Lucius, earning a further horrifying glare from Amelia as he continued, "When we found Harry, it was because Narcissa had received a summons to Gringotts: as was the case for all confirmations, the goblin that saw to us performed a blood-confirmation test on Harry and it was revealed that their wills had been sealed."

"Albus!" exclaimed Amelia, now shaking with a mix of fury and sorrow as she asked, "Why?"

"It was my understanding that the blood wards…" Dumbledore began, but again, Lucius intervened.

"Blood Magic of _any_ level is illegal, Albus," Lucius told him, his voice holding back his pride and success as Dumbledore grew worse and worse, the eyes of the Malfoy Lord now filled with victory as he told the old man, "Not only that, but as Amelia was about to say, it says _quite clearly_ in Lily _and_ James' wills that Harry is to go nowhere near that Muggle magic-hating madam and her brood."

The mention of the fact that the Dursleys hated magic was everything that Amelia needed to put the final pieces together; looking to Narcissa, she asked, "How…how is he?"

"Recovering," answered Narcissa, her voice edged by a hint of enraged determination as she told Amelia, "And, as Harry's godmother, as chosen by Lily and agreed in witness by James and Sirius, I act in loco parentis and guardian ad litem that Harry James is now my ward and protected not only by the Malfoy Family, but the Most Noble and Ancient House of Black!"

A bright flash of magic surrounded the manor and the Malfoys before Narcissa continued, "So, Amie, if you're here to try and take my little one from me, I warn you that I will not hold back because we were once friends."

"Not even if it means raising Harry with Death Eaters?" asked Dumbledore, believing that Lucius' sordid past would be the nail in the coffin: however, Lucius countered _that_ too as he lifted his sleeves, exposing pale, clean skin – much to Narcissa's surprise, but she assumed her husband had his reasons.

"What were you just insinuating, Albus?" asked Lucius, his own voice edged by rage as he hissed, "I was tried and tested before a court of my peers and pleaded my innocence there too."

"Then how do you explain your presence on Privet Drive not a few hours ago?" asked Dumbledore, before he, Amelia and the Malfoys all gasped as another voice spoke from behind the Malfoy elders.

"Lord Malfoy was here all afternoon with us," explained the small, but confident-looking form of Harry James Potter as he stood next to Lucius, his hand actually linking with that of the Malfoy Lord as he told the two adults, "He was teaching Draco and I about Hogwarts life before we all had lunch where he made me his ward."

"Harry…" whispered Amelia, seeing the damage in the eyes of the young wizard and, for some reason she couldn't understand, she could also tell that he was covering up something. However, with his innocence and the way he seemed to both rely on and seem to protect the honour and care of the Malfoys, Amelia knew that she couldn't make anything out of this.

After all, who would believe that their precious _Boy-Who-Lived_ would lie?

'He's definitely James' kid,' she thought with a fond smile before she continued speaking, "Mr Potter, it's a pleasure to meet you at last: my name is Amelia Bones and I'm in charge of the Aurors of the Ministry, which are like a sort of magical policemen. Now that you're here, I'd like you to tell me if you accept Lady Malfoy's guardianship."

"My Mum trusted her," Harry answered, the expression earning a look of new horror from Dumbledore as Harry continued, "So do I…and besides, _if_ Lucius did have anything to do with Vol-sorry, You-Know-Who, then why would he welcome me to his home? Wouldn't he sooner…hurt me or even…even kill me?"

'Good argument,' thought Amelia, shaking her head slowly as she thought to herself, 'I see a Ravenclaw or a Slytherin in him.'

"That's all I need, I think," Amelia then continued, looking to Lucius and Narcissa as she told them, "The two of you are now Harry's guardians until he turns seventeen: as Head of the DMLE, I authorise this guardianship and declare it Iron-Clad: by the grace of Merlin, so it is decreed, so let it be done!"

A second flash of magic surrounded the group as Amelia then added, "Good luck, young Harry: I hope to hear good things about you from my niece."

"I'll certainly try, Ma'am," replied Harry, his pronunciation of the informal address not as close to the family-term as it had been with Narcissa.

With that, Amelia turned before she asked, "Anything else, Albus? I have a niece to get ready for school."

Dumbledore just left without another word, leaving Amelia to watch him leave, but once she was sure that the coast was clear, Amelia turned back before she told Harry, "Whatever the truth is, I know you're safe here, Harry: Lily would be proud of you for trusting her friends, but James would be rolling around on the floor laughing his head off for your slyness. So whatever the truth is, I know you covered up for the right reasons."

Harry blushed, earning a laugh from Narcissa while Lucius tousled the boy's dark hair fondly, the motion earning another fond smile from Amelia as she returned home;

'Now _that's_ a family.'

**Chapter 4 and it seems that Harry is certainly adapting well to life with the Malfoys, but have we heard the last from Dumb-as-a-door?**

**Also, what sort of reaction will Hogwarts have when they meet the new and improved Harry James Potter?**

**Keep Reading to Find Out**

**Next Chapter: Harry begins looking into Nethermancy as the summer holidays continue; plus, Narcissa's thoughts are confirmed when Harry makes a **_**very**_** personal request of her and Lucius and, as September First dawns, it seems that Harry and Draco are determined to complete their trio with their lost blood-brother…**

**Please Read and Review**

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Amelia Bones**_

**Now, I'll say this: Amelia's attitude towards Harry at the end there is only because she sees how the Malfoys are protecting and helping him rather than harming him; she's not really Dark and she's not Light either. More neutral and unbiased…**

_**AN2: Dobby**_

**So how did you like the appearance of our favourite small friend? I thought about using Dobby in that manner as it gives Harry a reminder of his family and also gave him someone that helps him see how he's been acting, which will come in handy when Brother Number Two joins the fray, don't you think?**

_**AN3: Booksmart Harry**_

**Yes, it's a cliché, but given that he **_**is**_** Grindelwald's heir, I thought it would make sense for Harry to have a hidden smart side; he's still going to be the proverbial powerhouse of his group, but now he has brains as well as brawn;**


	5. A Family Matter

Dark Shadows

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or any of its associated characters; all rights belong to JK Rowling; I do own any OC spells explained at the end of a chapter.

**Plot: **Seeing is Believing Challenge Response: Dark secrets, a new chance at a life he should have lived and shocking revelations concerning his family set Harry Potter on a path into the dark areas of magic, but, to him, there is no good and evil, there is only magic and those worthy to wield it.

**Added Note: **Now, since I _know_ that some people will either complain about repetitions of my old work, I'll just say it again: if you don't like it, then don't read it.

To quote advice from one of my good friends:

_**There is a HUGE difference between constructive criticism and someone who is being rude. I DO NOT like it when people do nothing but complain about my stories. If my story is not your cup of tea then do us both a favor and do not read it. To be ugly about each chapter and never say anything nice is not only annoying, but it is extremely rude. **_

_**I go out of my way to please my readers. I cannot please everyone. In the end, there is really only one person who needs to be pleased. That person would be me.**_

Okay?

So, if for any reason this story doesn't fit your liking, then either go and read something else, or even better, write your own stories; that's what FFN is for, after all. I'm not JK Rowling, so I don't put the characters the same as those brilliant books and films, but still, I am the same as any writer with my work being targeted by negative comments, abusive remarks and, worse of all, plain-minded opinions telling me it's stupid, disbelieving, wrong or just plain ignorant.

Hello?

It's called FAN-FICTION-dot-net for a reason…

Sorry for my little rant there, my loyal readers; I just needed to get that off my chest before we get into the story: so, let's go…

**Dedication: **I'd like to dedicate this story to everyone that's been on that very rocky road with me throughout the year and helped keep my spirits up with all my stories; my recommended reads are _A Familiar's Intuition_ by Dragonsrule18, _Silver Tongue_ by Shadow Hidden By The Moon and _Rewind of Time_ by StormyFireDragon: three amazing stories, the first of which inspired the challenge and this story, so an added thanks to _Dragonsrule18_ for that.

**Key Pairing: **Eventual Harry/Tracey; Eventual Draco/Hermione; Lucius/Narcissa

**Other Pairings: **Eventual Neville/Daphne; Eventual Blaise/Luna; Mentions of Lily/James

Normal Speech

'Thought'

/_Parseltongue_/

**Review Answers:**

**EndlessChains: Yeah, of course I was having Harry go through his 'change' in personality, but when I thought of how, it was funny that the first thing I thought about was Dobby;**

**Jordan Cross: Nah, it's just a case of me working on what inspires me most, which is why some updates take longer than others;**

**Daithi4377: A lot of interesting points made there;**

**StormyFireDragon: I don't get it, Storm: you point out the mistakes, but make it sound so nice at the same time: I'm glad you're enjoying this one;**

"_Whatever the truth is, I know you're safe here, Harry: Lily would be proud of you for trusting her friends, but James would be rolling around on the floor laughing his head off for your slyness. So whatever the truth is, I know you covered up for the right reasons."_

_Harry blushed, earning a laugh from Narcissa while Lucius tousled the boy's dark hair fondly, the motion earning another fond smile from Amelia as she returned home;_

'_Now that's a family.'_

Chapter 5: A Family Matter

"I don't know why you did that, Harry, but thank you."

Harry didn't really know what to say as Lucius told him how grateful he was for the boy putting his trust in the Malfoys, even with Dumbledore there trying to stir up trouble. After Amelia and Dumbledore had left, Lucius and Narcissa had escorted their new ward inside where they'd found Draco looking both sheepish and proud of his blood-brother for his courage.

One round of hot chocolate later, everyone was getting ready for bed, but, before they called it a night, Lucius and Narcissa had decided to pay Harry a visit to see how he was settling in.

What they found nearly brought tears of joy to Narcissa's eyes: Harry was sat under his bedcovers, dressed in a set of dark-green pyjamas that Narcissa recognised as an old pair of Draco's, the book that Lucius had given him resting on his knees as he read from its pages.

The reason that Narcissa had nearly cried was because of how innocent and how…_normal_ Harry looked: whatever Draco had said to him while she and Lucius were taking care of their uninvited guests must have worked. However, Harry _did_ apologise when he thought that he was disobeying their wishes, but Narcissa shook her head and sitting on his left, she told him that he was welcome to read as much as he wanted, but as long as he got a good night's sleep too.

Lucius had then said what he'd just told Harry, earning a soft blush from the small boy before he replied, "I didn't want them to think you'd hurt me, but I also didn't want Dumbledore to win."

"And he won't," Narcissa assured her little one, putting a comforting arm around his shoulders as she held him warmly, "Iron-Clad means exactly what it says, Harry: Merlin himself couldn't overrule it. Looks like we're now stuck with you until you become of age."

A look of shock crossed Harry's face before Narcissa added, "Joke, Harry: it's okay, this is your home now and Lucius and I will always welcome you. Now, why don't you read your texts for about another half-an-hour? Then it's time for all good, strong little sorcerers to get a good night's sleep, okay?"

"Yes Ma'am," replied Harry, again sounding like _Mum_ as he addressed Narcissa; with that, the Malfoy Lady kissed him lightly on the brow before she left with her husband in tow.

Closing the door to Harry's room, Lucius set up an alert charm just in case anything should disturb Harry's sleep; as he went to say good-night to Draco, however, he then saw Narcissa's look.

With a sigh, Lucius told her, "Let him make the decision himself, my dear: he'll ask you soon enough if he notices how you react, but don't let it frighten him."

"I-I know, Luc," Narcissa replied, wiping her eyes with a handkerchief as she added, "I just…I just still can't believe how hurt he's been and yet…despite all that, he still…he still has room in his heart for…for the love of others."

"Just like Lily," Lucius smiled, giving his wife a soft kiss before he added, "Come on, let's go and say goodnight to Draco."

_**Dark Shadows**_

In his room, Harry adjusted himself so that he could read in comfort and, with the low light of his bedroom providing him enough to see the words on the page, he began to read…

_WHAT IS NETHERMANCY?_

_Nethermancy, also known as the Shadow Arts, is the gift or ability discovered or bestowed upon certain gifted witches and wizards to manipulate, command, control and even summon/invoke the mysterious powers over the Shadow World, often referred to as the Spectral Realm._

_As magically-gifted as the ability is, there are two stages of recognising a Nethermancer that can either be discovered or gained through long and often-dangerous rites that reveal the powers over the dark for what they are._

_The first stage of the power is known as an __**Acolyte:**__ these are the witches and wizards whom attempt these rituals with the intent on controlling or manipulating the dark worlds and their contents. From these powers, an Acolyte can manifest shadows into minor-league shapes and shields as well as enchant weapons, armour and even their wands with the shadow elementals._

_The second stage, a less common stage, is known as the __**Inborn: **__These Nethermancers are those born to inherit or discover the ability through their magical cores. Unlike the Acolytes, a true Inborn has the skill to completely manifest and manipulate the shadows to whatever so desires he or she wishes: this level of Nethermancer also comes with the Night Forge, a high-level familiar's bond that will unite master and familiar beyond the levels of most magical creatures._

_A Night Bond can also only be forged with an actual magically-blooded creature, though unlike regular familiars, a Night Bond is less drawn from the master towards the familiar: instead, the bond works in reverse and, when it finds its master, the familiar will act friendly and even obedient before the bond has been completed and/or recognised by the master._

_A third ability of the Inborn is the art of Shifting, often referred to as Veiling: with this ability, an Inborn can blend their senses into the shadows and see beyond mortal comprehension while also developing the ability to reach into the shadows to retrieve or summon objects and, at its highest grade, a true Veil can allow the Nethermancer to teleport through the shadows or walk in the world of the Spectral Realm without fear of detection or barriers between areas otherwise inaccessible by mortal/human means._

_Despite the many differences between an Acolyte and an Inborn, Nethermancers are still rare and have since been labelled as little more than myths by those who choose to believe in the here and now._

'Wow,' thought Harry, rubbing his eyes as he read through the information, 'A rare type of wizard: that's what I am, but am I an Inborn or an Acolyte?'

As he thought about this, the mind of the young sorcerer was cast back to his inheritance test:

_Flashback Start_

**MAGICAL ABILITIES: **

_**Wandless Magic Master: paternal/maternal – partially-blocked**_

_**Elemental: Shadow, Ice, Lightning: paternal/maternal/blood-blessing – partially-blocked**_

_**Parseltongue: blessing/maternal – partially-blocked**_

_**Duelling Prodigy: maternal/paternal – partially-blocked**_

_**Natural Occlumens/Legilimens: maternal/paternal – partially-blocked**_

_**Healing Magic: paternal – partially-blocked**_

_**Blood Magic: maternal – partially-blocked**_

_**Shadow Magic: maternal – partially-blocked**_

_**Familiar's bond – unformed**_

_Flashback End_

'Maternal,' thought Harry, smiling warmly at the thought of his Mother's power being the source of his own magic, 'That means Mum or even Grandpa Grindelwald had it: so I was _born_ with the power, which makes me an Inborn.'

Again, he looked over the information: as an Inborn, the shadows and the world known as the Spectral Realm would be his playground while he also had a bond to complete with a creature he hadn't even met yet.

Then there was the last power, the art of Veiling: with that, there would be no place he couldn't hide if he needed to get away and nothing would be hidden from him, not if he could use his five senses and literally see in, or rather see _through_ the darkness.

Truly, the art of Nethermancy sounded like an interesting and definitely worthwhile talent…

_**Dark Shadows**_

'Damn that Amelia Bones! I _knew_ I should have asked Dolores!'

This was the thought that ran through Dumbledore's mind as he sat behind his desk, his eyes closed while his fingers massaged his temples, a headache like never before having crept up on him since his return from Malfoy Manor.

When he'd heard that the Dursleys had received visitors from his little spy on the street, Dumbledore had gone out to the house to see what had happened, but all he'd found was an empty house and a place that looked more abandoned than desolate or destructive. Searching for magical signatures hadn't helped either: the blood wards that Dumbledore himself had erected had ensured that the signature of his little martyr was scrambled, so any within the house would also be blocked and undetectable.

Still, when Dumbledore heard news that the Dursleys had been found massacred in a lion's cage at the local zoo with Dudley Dursley locked in an Anaconda's nest in the reptile house while Petunia was given to the tigers, the old man had sensed trouble. Checking what little was left of his three most-naïve of pawns, the headmaster had found evidence of Lucius Malfoy's handiwork, but with little more than that to go on and given that the Dursleys were now carnivore bait, it didn't help Dumbledore's case too much either.

So, using the fact that he'd _heard_ that Lucius Malfoy had been near the house, Dumbledore had thought he could rely on Amelia to use her hatred of Tom's forces to 'rescue' Harry before it was too late.

But no: Narcissa had treated him warmly, there wasn't any indication that Lucius ostracised him and, from what the brat had said, it also sounded like he had been told of Narcissa's friendship with _Lily_ when Dumbledore had worked so hard to keep that covered up.

Still, at least he didn't know of Severus and, if he did, then at least he wouldn't know the man had gotten back Lily's forgiveness after their falling out.

This made it easy for Dumbledore to make sure that Severus would ostracise Harry at Hogwarts once the little sacrifice to the Greater Good was sorted into Gryffindor.

Thankfully, Dumbledore had one card to play and, with it, Harry's future would be back in the hands of the right people;

Namely Albus Dumbledore!

_**Dark Shadows**_

To say that the summer that Harry spent with his new guardians was the best one in his entire life would be the biggest understatement in history;

Lucius and Narcissa were more and more open and welcoming to Harry's desire to learn and grow than the Dursleys with each passing day, though they made sure that Harry got the chance to be a kid as well, especially when Draco introduced him to Quidditch and, in a practice session using the back of the manor's grounds, it was revealed that Harry had Seeker reflexes.

As for Draco, he admitted that he was more a Chaser or Keeper material and, on his parents' orders, Draco _and_ Harry both promised that they would wait until their second year before even thinking of trying out for the team. When Harry asked after one such fun session what they'd do if they were in different Houses, Draco laughed before he told his blood-brother that he'd better watch out, because _if_ that happened, then Draco would try for the Seeker post and make Harry eat his tailwinds.

While they also learned and had fun with their lives, Harry and Draco were also taught by Lucius and Narcissa about the basics of what they'd learn in their coming year at Hogwarts, both of them being introduced to such things like duelling etiquette and how to properly act when around those who earned your respect.

Lucius, during one of these lessons, then told Harry a rule that stuck with the dark-haired boy for years, "Consider none your superiors except for those you know deserve to be recognised as such. You may be told of blood purity and family honorifics, but at the end of the day, blood is blood, magic is magic and you and Draco are…well, you're you and Draco."

The boys had laughed at that, but Harry had promised Lucius that he would remember his lesson.

Narcissa, on the other hand, was faced with another dilemma: every so often, she would talk to Harry or give him a task for his training or just as a request and, nine times out of ten, he would reply with ma'am, but again putting emphasis on it so that it sounded like Mum.

She knew that she had to wait, but Narcissa could also tell that, while Harry called her it of his own free will, he clearly hadn't spoken to her about it out of fear or doubt for what she would say.

Of course, when he _did_ finally speak to her about it, Narcissa knew _exactly_ what she would say.

_**Dark Shadows**_

For a treat in the last week of the summer holidays, Lucius and Narcissa took Harry and Draco to the beach to give them a day to act like normal kids and, for Harry, it was easily the greatest day of his life.

As soon as he saw the glorious sandy view of the coastline, Harry was like a toddler as he couldn't keep still, he was repeating over and over again how thankful he was and, when they got off the coach that Lucius and Narcissa had bought tickets for to take their boys to the beach, the Muggle driver had joked, "You'd think kid's never seen t'beach before."

Lucius had laughed politely, but one look at Narcissa told him exactly what the case was.

Away from their coach, heading down the cobblestone paths of the seaside resort of Whitby, which also had its own supernatural and magically-tuned sources, Lucius addressed Narcissa as he told her, "I know he doesn't know yet, but I'm certainly not sorry for how Severus and I left those three."

"I'm just thankful that you didn't go as far as doing it yourself, dear," Narcissa replied, leaning against her husband's shoulder as she watched the boys race off down the street, both of them looking in shop windows and, at one point, Harry actually stood on the railings near the River Esk and let the seaside breeze ruffle his dark hair.

The past few weeks with the Malfoys had been kind to him: thanks to Narcissa's gentle mothering and a short, but definitely worthwhile regime of Nutritional and Muscle Replenishment Draughts from Lucius had given Harry the look of a more normal child. He'd filled out to the average weight of his age group in no time and, thanks to the draughts, he'd also shot up five inches in four weeks.

To add to his new look, Lucius had also paid for Harry to have magical eye surgery so that he no longer had to wear glasses: instead, his bright green eyes sparkled like emerald starlight whenever he was happy and, in Narcissa's opinion, it just sought to remind them of how normal and innocent their godson was.

His dark hair was still a mess, but now it was a stylish mess thanks to Draco, who spent most of his time making sure _his_ hair was well-kept, but as they watched the boys laugh and play, Lucius and Narcissa couldn't help but feel glad of how they'd turned the frightened rabbit of a boy into the proud warrior and, if he were an animal, then definitely an Alpha Male wolf or lion in such a short space of time.

After a fish dinner, Harry lay his hands on his stomach before he looked over and, for a moment, a look of confusion crossed his face that had Lucius speaking up, "Is everything all right, Harry?"

"I was…I was just thinking," Harry answered, unintentionally hesitating as he voiced his thoughts.

"Knut for them?" asked Draco softly, taking a drink from his ice-cream soda.

"Well," Harry replied, leaning his elbows on the metal table of the restaurant before he asked, "You know that some…some of our lot don't really get the world of…of their lot?"

"Yes," replied Lucius, watching as his honorary godson stirred his own ice-cold lemonade with his straw as he talked.

"How did you and Narcissa do it, Lucius?" asked Harry, indicating down the road towards where they'd get the coach home as he added, "I mean you didn't even seem stunned or questioning about…about the bus or anything."

"Ah," Lucius replied, taking a drink from his coffee as he answered his godson, "Well, Harry: while it _is_ true that some of our lot are befuddled by this world, I thankfully am not: during my teen years, I took a course in Ireland about Adapting to the _Other_ World and that showed me everything I needed to know about blending into this side of life, which is also why we didn't come out here in robes and cloaks. Though, from my more modern understanding of this side of life, such people would be referred to as Fantasy Geeks, Goths or some other nonsensical term."

Harry just nodded while he took a drink; setting down his glass, he then asked, "Can we go up to the Abbey? It's meant to be the one that inspired Bram Stoker to write about Dracula."

"Is it really?" asked Narcissa, checking a watch on her wrist as she added, "Well, we've got another two hours or so before the coach leaves, so I think we've got some time. How do you know so much about Stoker, though, Harry?"

"I read," replied Harry, an innocent smile crossing his face as he added, "When…when I was at school, Dracula was one of my favourite classics to read: obviously, I never told Un…I mean _them_, but I never stopped either."

"Certainly explains the bibliophile in you now," laughed Draco, though like his parents, he too nearly winced when Harry spoke of the Big Bad Trio.

Like his parents, Draco was certainly glad that they weren't around to terrorise Harry anymore…

_**Dark Shadows**_

At the end of the day, after climbing the near-200 steps to reach the Abbey and then returning to the coach, the Malfoys, along with Harry, returned to Malfoy Manor where, as soon as they were inside, Harry turned and surprised Lucius and Narcissa as he hugged them both, his eyes brimming with tears.

"This has been the _best_ day of my life!" exclaimed the dark-haired wizard, his eyes sparkling brightly as he added, "Thank you Lucius, Narcissa: I'll never forget this!"

"You are most welcome, Harry," Lucius told him, his voice calm, but edged with pride as he saw the delight in his ward's gaze.

"Now," Narcissa told the boys, "Why don't you take your…souvenirs upstairs and then join us for dinner?"

"Yes Mum," chorused the boys, including Harry.

As Narcissa left, Lucius had to embrace his wife in his arms before he told her, "Told you that if you waited…"

"I can't wait any longer, Luc," Narcissa cut him off, her eyes edged by tears as she told him, "At dinner, I'm going to tell him."

"If that is what you wish," replied Lucius, giving his wife a soft kiss before he walked off to prepare for dinner.

_**Dark Shadows**_

"Harry?"

Looking up just as he was finishing the braised beef and vegetables that they'd had for dinner, Harry was a little surprised to see Narcissa watching him with a whole range of emotions on her face.

Setting down his knife and fork, Harry gulped down what he was eating before he asked, "Yes, Narcissa?"

"There's…" Narcissa trailed off for a moment before she looked to Lucius, who just nodded in unspoken consent before she continued, "There's something that Lucius and I would like to ask you, if that's all right?"

"Of course," answered Harry, taking a drink as he asked, "What? Is…is something wrong?"

"Not at all, dear child," answered Narcissa, placing her hand on top of Harry's as she told him, "It's just…I don't know if you've noticed it yourself, but…over the past few weeks, you've had a bit of a habit of calling me Ma'am, but…when you say it, it sounds like…"

"Mum," Draco finished, seeing the pain in his Mother's eyes as he added, "You did it today too, Harry: when we went to get ready for dinner."

Harry blushed, his eyes lowered for a moment before, to Lucius' shock, he told them, "I…I know."

"You do?" asked Lucius.

"Yes," replied Harry, lifting his eyes as he added, "I…I don't mean to, but…but you and Lucius, you've treated me like I'm your son…and, since Draco _is_ my blood-brother, I thought it'd be okay. I didn't…I'm not insulting my real Mum and Dad or even you, Lucius, but I did it to Narcissa because…because she knew Mum well and…and she _is_ my god-mum. So…so I can stop if it's a problem or…"

"Harry!"

Narcissa's sharp voice seemed to cut off any further explanations made by the young sorcerer as he looked up at Narcissa, who was now smiling fondly as she told him, "I _did_ know your Mum and your Dad, as did Lucius and as did many friends of ours and theirs. I also know you don't mean to, especially after everything you went through with…with _them_, but the reason I'm saying it now is because…because Lucius and I have talked and we've agreed that, if _you_ want to, but this is _your_ choice, sweetheart, no-one else's."

Harry just nodded slowly as Narcissa continued, "If _you_ want to, you can call me your Mum and you can even call Lucius Dad: you're the ward of our family and we _are_ your adoptive guardians, so it wouldn't seem out of place. So, Harry, what do you say?"

Harry didn't know what to say: instead, he gulped before his hands and body trembled with a whole new range of emotions.

Seeing the signs as clear as day, Narcissa rose from her seat while Lucius moved around the table and, as they reached him, Narcissa held Harry warmly and with the same maternal affection as she'd always done.

_Both_ of them held their adoptive child while Draco smiled fondly, all three of them hearing the words escape Harry's lips as he wept for his new, permanent guardians.

"Mum…Dad…thank you…"

**Chapter 5 and Harry has finally found his family, but what surprises and future does he have as he and Draco prepare for Hogwarts?**

**Also, what is Dumbledore's plan and can the Malfoys help Harry avoid it?**

**Keep Reading to Find Out**

**Next Chapter: September First dawns and it seems that Harry and Draco are determined to complete their trio with their lost blood-brother; also, new friends for Harry and old acquaintances for Draco as the gang meets and makes their way to Hogwarts, but with friends and acquaintances, there **_**must**_** come trouble…**

**Please Read and Review**

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Family**_

**Now, since people will ask it, I'll say it now: though Harry now calls Lucius and Narcissa Mum and Dad, he is **_**not**_** a Malfoy in name; I'm waiting for Sirius before doing anything about that;**

**Also, since people have asked, I'll say it: Sirius is **_**not**_** coming into the picture until PoA where things will get interesting on all fronts;**

_**AN2: Muggle-understanding Malfoys**_

**Now remember the challenge? How it said that the Malfoys were…different? Well, this is just one of the ways: I used the beach scene as a sort of final stand for Harry and the dilemma felt by Lucius and Narcissa, but I also used it to show just how different from canon Lucius and Narcissa really are;**

**It's for that same difference that I also put in that part where Lucius said 'blood is blood, magic is magic and you and Draco are…well, you're you and Draco.'**

**There **_**will**_** be blood-purity, just **_**not**_** from the Malfoys;**


	6. The Power of Three

Dark Shadows

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or any of its associated characters; all rights belong to JK Rowling; I do own any OC spells explained at the end of a chapter.

**Plot: **Seeing is Believing Challenge Response: Dark secrets, a new chance at a life he should have lived and shocking revelations concerning his family set Harry Potter on a path into the dark areas of magic, but, to him, there is no good and evil, there is only magic and those worthy to wield it.

**Added Note: **Now, since I _know_ that some people will either complain about repetitions of my old work, I'll just say it again: if you don't like it, then don't read it.

To quote advice from one of my good friends:

_**There is a HUGE difference between constructive criticism and someone who is being rude. I DO NOT like it when people do nothing but complain about my stories. If my story is not your cup of tea then do us both a favor and do not read it. To be ugly about each chapter and never say anything nice is not only annoying, but it is extremely rude. **_

_**I go out of my way to please my readers. I cannot please everyone. In the end, there is really only one person who needs to be pleased. That person would be me.**_

Okay?

So, if for any reason this story doesn't fit your liking, then either go and read something else, or even better, write your own stories; that's what FFN is for, after all. I'm not JK Rowling, so I don't put the characters the same as those brilliant books and films, but still, I am the same as any writer with my work being targeted by negative comments, abusive remarks and, worse of all, plain-minded opinions telling me it's stupid, disbelieving, wrong or just plain ignorant.

Hello?

It's called FAN-FICTION-dot-net for a reason…

Sorry for my little rant there, my loyal readers; I just needed to get that off my chest before we get into the story: so, let's go…

**Dedication: **I'd like to dedicate this story to everyone that's been on that very rocky road with me throughout the year and helped keep my spirits up with all my stories; my recommended reads are _A Familiar's Intuition_ by Dragonsrule18, _Silver Tongue_ by Shadow Hidden By The Moon and _Rewind of Time_ by StormyFireDragon: three amazing stories, the first of which inspired the challenge and this story, so an added thanks to _Dragonsrule18_ for that.

**Key Pairing: **Eventual Harry/Tracey; Eventual Draco/Hermione; Neville/Daphne;

**Other Pairings: **Lucius/Narcissa; Eventual Blaise/Luna; Mentions of Lily/James

Normal Speech

'Thought'

/_Parseltongue_/

**Review Answers:**

**WhiteElfElder: Like I said, I have an amusing little idea that I don't think has been done yet, so keep reading to find out what that is;**

**StormyFireDragon: Thanks Storm: I hope you enjoy this chapter as I certainly enjoyed writing it;**

**Petete85: That's just my preferred style of characterisation while I also do my best to ensure they learn about their powers step-by-step, so, for example, the blood magic won't be learned about/explored until Harry is at least 13 years old;**

**Winged Seer Wolf: I like it, D: however, I might keep that until Harry has come close to mastering/intermediate-level control over the power; also, with regards to Draco, I think you should look at the note at the end of this chapter;**

**DragonTamer01: If you go back a few chapters and look for my note at the top on Severus, you'll get your answer;**

**BMS: Me too;**

**Jordan Cross: The practice will be explored throughout the story, so I hope you enjoy what's coming;**

"_If you want to, you can call me your Mum and you can even call Lucius Dad: you're the ward of our family and we are your adoptive guardians, so it wouldn't seem out of place. So, Harry, what do you say?"_

_Harry didn't know what to say: instead, he gulped before his hands and body trembled with a whole new range of emotions._

_Seeing the signs as clear as day, Narcissa rose from her seat while Lucius moved around the table and, as they reached him, Narcissa held Harry warmly and with the same maternal affection as she'd always done._

_Both of them held their adoptive child while Draco smiled fondly, all three of them hearing the words escape Harry's lips as he wept for his new, permanent guardians._

"_Mum…Dad…thank you…"_

Chapter 6: The Power of Three

On their last night in the Manor, Harry and Draco were allowed to share the same room so that they'd both be awake and alert for their first day of school: hazarding a guess that they'd only do so anyway when they were sorted, Lucius also knew that the boys needed a chance to explore their blood bond and prepare for what was coming next.

As Harry emerged from his en-suite, his messy hair now slick and damp against his ears while he wiped his face dry with a towel, Draco sniggered to himself as he considered how much better his blood-brother looked. He also knew that the next day would test Harry because Draco would be reunited with his old acquaintances from the previous winter's soiree as well as the Summer Solstice Ball that had been held at Malfoy Manor that past June.

Harry knew that he didn't have to really prove anything to anyone, but as for Draco, he only hoped that his friends and contacts from the party wouldn't look down on Harry. After all, they wouldn't know – unless Harry chose to tell them – that he was the grandson of Grindelwald and a pureblood: all that they knew was that he was the Boy-Who-Lived and Draco knew how much his blood-brother hated that title.

He also worried for how others would see Harry, especially since the boy had told Draco that he wouldn't let the story of his past decide his future, so anyone that wanted to know the Boy-Who-Lived and _not_ Harry wasn't a friend of his.

This also meant that Harry had confided in Draco about his determination _not_ to follow his parents into Gryffindor: instead, like Narcissa had often hinted at, Harry wanted to go to Ravenclaw or, if he could prove himself worthy enough, he'd follow his newfound family into Slytherin.

Draco certainly knew one person who'd be surprised beyond belief if _that_ happened.

As Harry finished getting ready for bed, Draco finally spoke his mind as he asked, "You nervous?"

"A little," admitted Harry, his tone much calmer and less-stuttering than when they'd first met, "I mean, I've never really had somewhere to look forwards to as much as I'm looking forwards to Hogwarts. But I mean, since you'll be there and Mum and Dad have helped me learn about our world in detail, I guess…I guess it'll be okay."

"Of course it will," Draco agreed, sitting next to Harry while his blood-brother slipped on his night-shirt, "And hopefully, when we go to the school tomorrow, we'll also be able to reunite you with your other brother, Neville."

"Hopefully," agreed Harry, looking over to Draco before he asked, "About that: if it is the case that it's only me and him, are you going to ask Mum or Dad to complete the trio?"

"I don't know," Draco confessed, letting his eyes stare forwards as he linked his hands while he spoke, "I mean, you know all about Dad's old life and those he worked with, but at the same time, so do many families out there. One of the families that was hit pretty hard by the actions of that night were the Longbottoms and, although Father didn't have anything to do with it, I'm a little worried about how Neville will see me because it _was_ a Black family member that did what happened."

"Not all wizards are defined by their parents, Drake," Harry told him, shrugging ruefully as he added, "Look at me: people will expect to see the Boy-Who-Lived tomorrow, but thanks to you, Mother and Father, I've become more than just that title. Also, I know we agreed not to let house rivalries divide us, so, _if_ the worst happens, can we agree that we won't hide from each other either?"

"Of course we can," Draco told him, putting his hand in Harry's as he told him, "You think that after all we've done to help you, we're just going to leave you to the rabble? No Harry; no matter where we go tomorrow, you and I, we're golden: I'll stand by your side to the end…little brother."

As was the case whenever he called Harry by that title, Draco saw Harry smile as he said the words before he continued, "I can't say what'll happen tomorrow, but whatever happens, we stand together against whatever comes our way. Also, don't forget Mother's advice about practicing your Occlumency around Dumbledore: if he gets to you or tries to get to you, call Dobby and Mother or Father will be there faster than you can say Quidditch."

Again, Harry smiled before Draco told him, "Now come on: Mum will skin us alive if she catches us out of bed."

With a laugh, Harry called it a night, his mind whirling with dreams and hopes for the day that was to come…

_**Dark Shadows**_

With help from the mysterious, but fun art of Apparition, Lucius and Narcissa directed their sons to Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters with ease, both of them helping Harry and Draco put their things onto the train while sharing final words of wisdom and advice. As the boys climbed into the compartment, Narcissa gave Harry one last, warm hug before she left him to Draco's care, the look from Lucius saying more than words ever could to the Malfoy Heir.

"Don't worry, Father," Draco told him, his voice low, but edged with understanding, "I will."

"You'd better," Lucius replied, his voice directed at Draco as he told him, "_Any_ trouble, you call us straight away: do _not_ let him be left alone with the old fool and _especially_ do not let him be left alone, period."

Draco nodded before he turned and, joining Harry in their compartment, he sat down and looked to the window just in time to see his parents leave as quickly as they had arrived.

As Draco checked on his Eagle Owl, which he'd named Erebus, while Harry made sure that Hedwig, his beautiful snowy owl, was comfortable, the train started to fill with the sights and sounds of life. Out on the platform, Harry saw other parents saying their farewells to their children while some looked just as nervous as he felt.

Once they were sure of their feathered friends' comfortable states, Harry and Draco sat back down before Draco asked, "So, what you planning on doing on the journey ahead?"

"Not much," admitted Harry, looking to his trunk as he explained, "I was going to read the book that Father gave me, but I wouldn't want to be mistaken for a dark wizard so early in the game."

"Good plan," Draco agreed, looking again to the window before he added, "Well why don't you just sit back and enjoy the ride? I mean, if I know some…well, some friends of mine, they'll be looking for me, but you're my brother, Harry. Any that can't accept you aren't even worthy to be friends of mine for much longer."

"You'd…you'd do that…for me?" asked Harry shakily, earning a nod from Draco while the dark-haired wizard felt both awe and disbelief rise in him with the thought of what his brother was saying.

"Like I said," Draco reminded him, "You're my brother now, Harry: whether or not it's actually in blood or just a magical blood-brotherhood, I won't stray from your side. That's what Father meant when he just looked at me like he did: since you have his fealty, he'd be disappointed in me if I did anything to separate us again."

"Wow," Harry whispered, not saying how he'd actually wondered what the look was for, "Thanks Draco."

"No worries," Draco replied, then smirking as he saw Harry shiver before he asked, "Cold?"

"No," answered Harry, "But…but it feels like…well, I hate to use it, but it feels like someone wandered over my grave."

Draco frowned slightly before he scoffed as he added, "Someone must be talking about you…"

_**Dark Shadows**_

"Where _is_ he? We yelled it out loud enough for those Muggles to take notice!"

Molly Weasley looked around with rage and disbelief as she led her two youngest towards the barrier, the rest of their family having already gone through, none of them even aware of the action or thoughts of their siblings.

"You said he'd be here," the red-haired boy next to her insisted, "How else am I supposed to keep him away from those slimy snakes if I can't even distract him to begin with?"

"Never mind that," argued a short, red-haired girl, "How am I supposed to get him to notice me if he's not here? Mummy, you promised I'd meet the Boy-Who-Lived _and_ he'd see me as a friend."

"And you will, Ginny-dear," Molly replied, heaving a sigh before she indicated the barrier between worlds as she added, "Ronald, you go through and find the compartment he's in: and for Merlin's sake, be careful. It's costing the Headmaster a great deal of money to finance our co-operation with Harry: once we have his trust, we can resume control over the finances that will help us show the poor boy the right way to live."

"And is that before or after we get him killed?" asked Ron, earning a gasp and a look from his Mother that would have made dragons cower.

"Keep quiet about _that,_" Molly argued, "Remember, for all he knows, you're his best mate and we're here to give him a loving family."

Ron just nodded as he took off through the barrier, leaving Molly to wait with her daughter for the return of the patriarch of their family.

Soon, the Greater Good would come to pass and, when it did, the name Weasley would be strong again;

All thanks to Harry James Potter…

_**Dark Shadows**_

"I wish they'd _stop_ talking about me," grumbled Harry as he shivered again, "Honestly, it's like some sort of parade is dancing over my gravesite and I'm not even dead!"

Draco just laughed as he asked, "What do you expect, Harry? Both Mother and Father _did_ warn you of the fact that there'd be people excited about meeting the…I mean about meeting you."

"I don't care," scowled Harry, his voice edged by hurt as he asked, "Who wants to be famous because their parents are dead anyway? As Mum _and_ Dad know already, Drake: I'd give everything I own if it meant having them back."

"I know," Draco sighed, looking to the door of their compartment as though he was waiting on something.

As Harry settled back into his seat, Draco suddenly smiled as he added, "Hey, don't seem so worried: in no time at all, people will see that you're anything _but_ their so-called Boy-Who-Lived. If it helps, I know that, right now, I'm the only potential Slytherin who'd see you as such if we hadn't met before now."

"Thank Merlin for small mercies then," drawled Harry, earning a laugh from Draco before the train shuddered underneath them and, with a loud whistle that echoed through the compartments, the trip to Hogwarts began.

As London started to pass by the windows and the journey officially got underway, Draco sighed deeply as he looked across at Harry, who was just sitting there with his head resting against the cool glass of the window. Even as he watched his blood-brother, Draco couldn't help but think of how this bright, rather unique young man had once been the frightened rabbit of a child that he had met in Diagon Alley.

Time and training with his…sorry, _their_ parents and the care and love that was shown by Narcissa had really helped Harry, but even still, Draco couldn't believe that this was the same Harry from before.

It was nice to see him coming out of his shell like this, but Draco had begun to wonder if the internal scars of what had been done to Harry by those sick and twisted Muggle freaks would _ever_ heal. Sure, Harry was stronger and more confident, but Draco had always felt that Harry wasn't yet over what they'd put him through and all the lies that they'd told him.

'Time heals all wounds,' thought Draco as the train started to pull out of London, the heavily-urban sights being left for the rural landscapes of the country, 'But why do I feel that isn't the case with Harry?'

Suddenly, Draco's thoughts and Harry's calm demeanour were both thrown off completely as they looked up, Harry now sat bolt upright while Draco felt a tingle running through him like a static shock.

"You…you feel that?" asked Harry, earning a soft nod from Draco before he asked, "What…what does it mean?"

"I think I know," answered Draco, watching as, a few seconds later, there was a knock on the door of their compartment; opening it carefully, Draco's eyes widened when he saw another dark-haired boy with pale-blue eyes and slightly-tanned skin standing with a blonde-haired girl with ice-blue eyes and a calm, but determined expression on her face.

Opening the door the entire way, Draco then asked, "Greengrass, what brings you here?"

"Nice to see you too, Draco," replied the blonde girl, before she smiled softly as she added, "But it's okay: I know all about it. So, can we join you?"

"S-Sure," Draco replied, watching as the Greengrass girl and her companion sat down, the girl sitting next to Harry while the other boy remained standing.

Rising to his feet, Harry gulped as he asked, "Are…are you…"

"Neville Longbottom," replied the boy, his voice edged by strength as he explained, "Daphne's betrothed and…well, I guess we don't need to say it, do we?"

"No," answered Harry, closing the door to his compartment before he turned and asked, "How much do you know, Miss Greengrass?"

"Enough to know you've got nothing to fear from us, Harry…or perhaps I should call you Mr Potter until we officially become friends, huh?" asked Daphne, her voice making Harry think of ice crystals being chimed.

At the same time, Harry felt the same jolt that Draco had felt and, as he turned to face Neville, he asked him, "So, if Draco felt it too, then does that make us…"

"A Trinity," answered Neville, holding out his hands to the other two as he explained, "One that's been waiting ten years and more to be complete again…if you feel up to it, brother?"

Harry, with a look of surprise in his eyes, turned to Draco, who just shrugged before he took Neville's hand, holding his free one out for Harry.

In response, Harry took Draco's hand before he also held onto Neville's hand, the three of them being lit up in a field of blue, green, red and golden-coloured light that seemed to shine all around them. As the light died down, Harry felt what could only be described as a cleansing, purifying breeze tousle his dark hair while his heart felt warmer than ever.

Releasing their hands, it was Draco that asked what Harry was thinking, "When did you and I become blood-brothers, Longbottom?"

"The same time we became brothers with Harry, _Malfoy,_" replied Neville, drawling out Draco's surname as he added, "That's how a Trinity works: if two bloodlines pass through the same third party, then the bond is formed and waits for when all three are together. Both you and I became blood-brothers to the Most Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter and so, as we did with his blood, so too did he with ours. The magic of that brotherhood then united you and me, no matter how my guardian may feel about it, and now, as it always should have been, the three of us are united together."

"At _last,_" gasped Harry, actually laughing as he explained, "You know, for a moment there, Draco and I actually thought you'd disapprove of the bond, Neville."

"Why?" asked Neville calmly, "Because Draco's aunt Bellatrix is allegedly the reason that my parents are long-term residents of St Mungo's?"

"_Allegedly?_" asked Draco.

Neville nodded, his voice edged by strength that only seemed to grow in the presence of his brothers as he explained, "I was at Daphne's home when the manor was attacked and the only witness that saw what happened is now in Azkaban Prison while my Gran believes it because a certain someone…"

"Dumbledore?" asked Harry and Draco in unison.

"Him," nodded Neville, "He told her that was the case when Bellatrix, Rabastan and Rodolphus were sent to Azkaban, but, personally Draco, I don't believe she had anything to do with it."

"How come?" asked Draco.

Neville just shook his head, "I don't know: call it a hunch. Anyway, now that we're together, what do you think we should do?"

"How about staying together this time?" suggested Harry, earning a nod from Neville and Draco before he turned and added, "Sorry, Miss Greengrass: in all the excitement, I forgot my manners there…"

"Merlin forbid," laughed Draco, earning a punch to the arm from Harry _and_ Neville.

"As I was saying," Harry went on, "It's nice to meet you and, if I may be so bold, it's nice to see Neville betrothed to someone so…welcoming to this."

"Why wouldn't I be?" asked Daphne, her voice light, but amused as she told him, "It _was_ your Father, James, who suggested that Neville and I become betrothed in the first place."

"Why would he do that?" asked Draco.

Daphne shrugged ruefully, "I don't know…and I guess I never really will know, but it's a pleasure to meet you too, Harry: and please, call me Daphne."

"I think I can do that," laughed Harry as he sat back down, this time with both Draco and Neville on either side of him;

All three of them determined to keep the promise of staying together…no matter what stood in their way.

_**Dark Shadows**_

At around 1pm, a loud clattering outside the trio's compartment alerted them to the presence of the sweet trolley; sharing the price between them, the gang bought enough to last them until Hogwarts plus a bit extra to put aside.

As they sat back down, however, Harry's eyes found the handle of their door as it was flung open just as they'd closed it: outside the door, a tall, lanky-looking red-head stood there, a look of disdain crossing his face as he saw Draco.

"Of all the people to run into, it _had_ to be you, didn't it, Malfoy?" sneered the boy, his voice making Harry think of Dudley for some reason, but he held his tongue as Draco remained where he was.

"I didn't think you'd easily forget that I was coming up this year, Weasley," replied Draco coolly, his voice edged by a mix of pride and concern as he added, "Still, with all the other siblings you have, I guess it's hard to tell one year apart from another. Oh, I'm sorry there: looks like we're all forgetting our manners here."

Indicating the Weasley boy, Draco then added, "Daphne Greengrass, Neville Longbottom and Harry: allow me to introduce the newest member of the Weasley Rabbit Warren: so what's this one called? Tom? Dick? Harry?"

"Heaven forbid," muttered Harry.

"Ronald, as you well know, you slimy git," sneered the red-head, looking now to Harry as he asked, "And Harry _what,_ exactly? You look familiar, but…I can't think why."

"A Weasley that doesn't think," Draco muttered, startling Harry with his coldness as he added, "Will wonders never cease?"

"Shut your mouth, Malfoy!" snarled Ronald Weasley, the warning clear to Harry as he suddenly stood up and, standing between his brother and this loud-mouthed idiot, he drew on everything that Lucius had taught him about respect and honour.

"I don't know who you think you are, Weasley," Harry remarked, his tone of voice as cool and unreadable as Lucius had often spoken to him with, "But no-one tells Draco to shut up when he's only expressing an opinion: as for who I am, if you don't know that, then you've clearly been living in a cave for so long."

To Harry's surprise, he found a smirk crossing his face as he said the words before he heard Draco mutter, "Sounds like luxury compared to the hovel that they live in now."

"Maybe," agreed Harry, turning to Draco before he explained, "But that still doesn't mean he gets to bad-mouth you like this: plus, I don't recall inviting him in and yet he just swans in like he owns the place. Makes everything Dad taught us about respect seem like yesterday's trash if you ask me."

"No-one did!" scowled Ronald, but as Harry turned back, the bangs on his fringe shifted slightly with a breeze that blew past the train and through the windows, revealing the lightning-bolt _mark_ on his brow.

Unfortunately for Harry, the Weasley boy was still standing there waiting for an answer, so he was nearly deafened when the idiot cried out, "Blimey, Harry: why didn't you say it was you? Come on, let's get you away from these Slytherin wannabes before they wind up cursing you or…"

"Take your hand off me, Weasley," snarled Harry, wrenching his arm free of Ronald's grip – the idiot having grabbed his arm when he'd insisted Harry go with him – before he added in a cold tone, "Draco and Daphne and Neville would _never_ harm me, let alone curse me unless they felt it necessary. I don't recall telling you that we were suddenly friends, _especially_ since you insult and belittle my friends, so if you'd be so kind: there's the door, feel free to use it."

Ron looked a little confused and lost – what else was new? – at the expressions used by Harry, but he seemed to get very little of it enough to reply to the dark-haired wizard, "Harry, listen: I can help you be free of their lies. All you have to do is come with me: we're going to be best mates in Gryffindor and…"

"Sorry Weasley," Harry sighed, a pitying smile crossing his face as he hissed out, "But my path lies in the Snake Pit as a member of _Salazar Slytherin's student_ body!"

He put emphasis on each s, the sound making Ronald turn white before he scowled as he told Harry, "Don't say that: what would your parents say?"

"Bad question," muttered Draco, watching as Harry clenched his fists, his eyes now closed while he breathed deeply.

As though he too sensed the signs, Neville rose before he put a hand on Harry's shoulder, Draco then following suit, all three of them united in this one moment while Neville added, "Weasley, a word of advice: you might want to invest in something to clean your ears out because you're losing oxygen to your brain. Otherwise, you'd remember that Harry's parents are…"

Here, Draco covered his blood-brother's ears before Neville added, "Dead, as in not here and very unlikely to be so again: so as for what they'd say? Well, the only time that Harry will ever find _that_ out is when he dies too and, if you ask me, I think Lily and James Potter would be happy enough that their son is making the right choices."

"Says you, Longbottom," sneered Ron, "At least your parents are vegetables and can't see the humiliation of fraternising with their tormentors, because if they…"

Neville cut Ron off with a swift and _very_ angry kick to the guts, the red-haired idiot now going down hard as he coughed, gagged, retched and heaved dry air.

Neville, meanwhile, drew his wand before he pointed it at Ronald, his blue eyes more like lightning in his face as he hissed, "Perhaps you didn't figure it out with Harry, Weasley: but don't you _ever_ use someone's family history against them. As for my parents, yes, they're comatose, but I don't much care because, like Harry, I _choose_ to be here and if that means being with Draco, then fine! Now, get out before I use your tongue to clean Harry's owl's crap off the cage floor!"

Still coughing and gagging, Ronald stumbled away, leaving Neville to return his wand to his pocket before he turned and, with a deep sigh, he told the other two, "Sorry: I know I shouldn't have done that, but…"

"No," Harry replied, removing Draco's hands from his ears as he added, "I'd expect nothing less of my brother."

Neville gave a small smile before all three of them returned to their seats as the ride to Hogwarts continued…

**Chapter 6 and Harry has found his allies, met his enemy and discovered his true friends, but what other shocks lie between him and his future?**

**Also, could Neville's hunch be correct and, if so, what is the truth and what are the lies?**

**Keep Reading to Find Out**

**Next Chapter: Nearing Hogwarts, the team meet a certain brunette, who makes an impact on Draco; also, Harry is reunited with Hagrid while the sorting waits, but can the Trinity stay together?**

**Please Read and Review**

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Neville**_

**Okay, so maybe it would have been better if Neville had been the shy weakling we know and love, but I couldn't do it, not when Harry and Draco were so strong already: so, instead, I twisted a favourite theme of certain Grey/Dark Harry stories and betrothed him to our favourite Ice Queen of Slytherin;**

**That should make for some fun, huh?**

_**AN2: The Trinity**_

**Now, since people will ask, I'll say it now: I don't know yet if Neville and Draco will develop their own gifts because of their bond with Harry: **_**if**_** they do, I'll be sure to do my best with them, but if not, then you just have to face up to it;**


	7. Silver and Bronze

Dark Shadows

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or any of its associated characters; all rights belong to JK Rowling; I do own any OC spells explained at the end of a chapter.

**Plot: **Seeing is Believing Challenge Response: Dark secrets, a new chance at a life he should have lived and shocking revelations concerning his family set Harry Potter on a path into the dark areas of magic, but, to him, there is no good and evil, there is only magic and those worthy to wield it.

**Added Note: **Now, since I _know_ that some people will either complain about repetitions of my old work, I'll just say it again: if you don't like it, then don't read it.

To quote advice from one of my good friends:

_**There is a HUGE difference between constructive criticism and someone who is being rude. I DO NOT like it when people do nothing but complain about my stories. If my story is not your cup of tea then do us both a favor and do not read it. To be ugly about each chapter and never say anything nice is not only annoying, but it is extremely rude. **_

_**I go out of my way to please my readers. I cannot please everyone. In the end, there is really only one person who needs to be pleased. That person would be me.**_

Okay?

So, if for any reason this story doesn't fit your liking, then either go and read something else, or even better, write your own stories; that's what FFN is for, after all. I'm not JK Rowling, so I don't put the characters the same as those brilliant books and films, but still, I am the same as any writer with my work being targeted by negative comments, abusive remarks and, worse of all, plain-minded opinions telling me it's stupid, disbelieving, wrong or just plain ignorant.

Hello?

It's called FAN-FICTION-dot-net for a reason…

Sorry for my little rant there, my loyal readers; I just needed to get that off my chest before we get into the story: so, let's go…

**Dedication: **I'd like to dedicate this story to everyone that's been on that very rocky road with me throughout the year and helped keep my spirits up with all my stories; my recommended reads are _A Familiar's Intuition_ by Dragonsrule18, _Silver Tongue_ by Shadow Hidden By The Moon and _Rewind of Time_ by StormyFireDragon: three amazing stories, the first of which inspired the challenge and this story, so an added thanks to _Dragonsrule18_ for that.

**Key Pairing: **Eventual Harry/Tracey; Eventual Draco/Hermione; Neville/Daphne;

**Other Pairings: **Lucius/Narcissa; Eventual Blaise/Luna; Mentions of Lily/James

Normal Speech

'Thought'

/_Parseltongue_/

**Review Answers:**

**Magitech: Don't worry, I've got Hermione down to a T with how I'm writing her into the story;**

**DragonTamer01: Oh, pretty soon;**

**BMS: Who doesn't enjoy that?**

**Winged Seer Wolf: Interesting proposal, my friend: that would certainly give Harry an advantage;**

**Daithi4377: Let's just say that this Hermione will actually surprise a few people;**

**StormyFireDragon: Enjoy this chapter, Storm: it certainly has some welcome twists to canon if you ask me;**

_Still coughing and gagging, Ronald stumbled away, leaving Neville to return his wand to his pocket before he turned and, with a deep sigh, he told the other two, "Sorry: I know I shouldn't have done that, but…"_

"_No," Harry replied, removing Draco's hands from his ears as he added, "I'd expect nothing less of my brother."_

_Neville gave a small smile before all three of them returned to their seats as the ride to Hogwarts continued…_

Chapter 7: Silver and Bronze

By the time the mood had calmed down enough in the compartment for things to return to whatever passed for normal, Harry had resorted to returning his head to the cool glass of the window while Draco checked his things, Neville pulled out a book on Botany and Daphne just seemed content to watch and wait for the end of the journey.

About an hour after Weasley's rude departure, however, the silence and serenity of the moment was interrupted once more when a knock sounded on the students' door, each of them lifting their heads to the door. This time, it was Draco who answered and, when he did, Harry thought he saw a look of bewilderment crossing his blood-brother's face as he saw their new visitor…or should that be _visitors?_

Two girls stood in the door space between Draco and the outside of their compartment, one of them a fairly tall, but attractive-looking fair-haired girl, her dark-blue eyes making Harry think of the night sky. Next to her was a brown-haired girl who had a look of nervousness and curiosity about her, though Harry also saw that she was already dressed in her Hogwarts robes.

"Oh," the fair-haired girl remarked, seeing Draco standing in the door, "Hello again, Draco: hope we're not intruding, but I was wondering if Hermione and I might join your little troupe?"

She had a light-hearted, but rather knowledgeable sort of tone and, as Harry looked from the fair-haired girl to her companion – whom he assumed was Hermione – he also noticed something…similar between the two.

Like a trait that no-one else could see on their first impressions of the two.

"Of course, Davis," replied Draco calmly, stepping aside to allow the two girls entry.

"Thank you," muttered the Hermione girl, taking a seat next to Daphne while the girl identified as Davis joined Neville and Draco's side of the compartment.

"Oh," Draco then added, sitting opposite Hermione and allowing the Davis girl to take the window seat as he explained, "Introductions: Neville, Harry: allow me to introduce Tracey Davis and, I'm sorry: Hermione, was it?"

"Yes," replied the brunette, "I'm Hermione Granger and yes, before anyone asks, I'm a Muggle-born witch: Tracey here was sitting with me down the train when these two large boys came into our compartment with a weedy-looking boy and, when he learned I was a Muggle-born, he called me…he said I was…"

Draco felt the magic in the air shift before anyone else did: looking to Harry, the Malfoy Heir reached over and, taking one of his brother's hands, he told him, "Calm down, Harry: as it happens, I know of the trio you speak of, Miss Granger. Theodore Nott, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle: three of the _biggest_ blood purists I can think of because of…well, let's just say that the sins of the Father match those of the son."

"That doesn't excuse them using that…that…_disgusting_ word," scowled Harry, Draco doing his best to calm his brother as Harry added, "Blood is blood, magic is magic and we are who we are, isn't that right, Draco?"

"Obviously!" Draco exclaimed, watching as Neville now joined in with his bond to Harry; as soon as all three were joined, the magic shifted again and Harry became calm once more, though his breathing was deep and edged by rage.

"You shouldn't let them win you over so easily, Harry," Neville remarked, his eyes now looking to a bewildered Hermione as he added, "Sorry: it's just that not everyone is such a blood purist, especially towards Muggle-born students."

"Oh…I-I wasn't stunned about that," Hermione told them, her eyes now looking to Harry as she added, "It's just…what you said there: blood is blood, magic is magic and we are who we are. That's quite a neutral way of looking at it, Harry: excuse me for asking, but I couldn't help but notice the mark on your brow. You _are_ him, aren't you?"

"I am," Harry replied softly, releasing his hands now from his brothers as he explained, "But I'm not the hero that the world thinks I am, Hermione: everything that they say about me is nothing more than Chinese Whispers. So if you're about to go off on one about my so-called fame like our last _guest_ to the compartment, then I think it better for everyone that you leave."

Hermione's eyes widened, but as she went to open her mouth once more, Draco cut her off as he told her, "He doesn't mean that in a harsh way, Miss Granger: Harry's just…well, it's safe to say that he's different compared to what everybody thinks of him. Once you get to know the real him, you can see that for yourself, so at least think about what you're going to say before you say it."

"Good choice of words, Draco," Tracey remarked, looking across the compartment towards Harry as she added, "And, if I may be so bold, it is nice to meet you in person, Harry: any friend of Draco's is clearly someone of both respect and honour."

"The pleasure is mine, Miss Davis," replied Harry, smiling softly.

As he smiled, Hermione saw it, though she didn't say anything when she did: behind the green eyes, behind the lightning-bolt marking and behind the friendly expressions and mannerisms, there was a part of Harry that was hidden away.

A _broken_ part of him.

As she saw it, Hermione gulped as she realised that what Draco had said was right: Harry wasn't the Boy-Who-Lived and didn't hold any real love or care for the title either.

And she had nearly made the mistake of quoting everything she'd heard about him.

Clearing her throat, Hermione received looks from the others as she told the green-eyed wizard, "I'm sorry for getting the wrong kind of impression about you, Harry: I know what…what it means to be labelled with titles and labels that you'd much rather avoid. So, if you can give me the chance, I'd like to get to know the _real_ Harry."

Here, Harry smiled and, as he did so, Draco followed suit, a part of him both impressed and intrigued by the mysterious Muggle-born, Hermione Granger. Anyone who could learn their lesson _that_ quick was definitely worth keeping an eye on, especially if they were so warm and welcoming towards Harry.

"So," Draco piped up, directing the conversation to the next port of call, "I can guess yours, Tracey, but what about you, Hermione? Where would you like to see yourself at Hogwarts?"

"Well," Hermione replied, looking around at the circle of friends she had suddenly found herself a part of, "When…when I attended a Muggle school, I found myself enjoying the task of reading and researching new and better ways of making things work, so possibly a Ravenclaw, but I'd also like to go to Slytherin House as well."

"Slytherin?" asked Harry, earning a nod from Hermione as he laughed, "That'd certainly rock the boat, but, if you don't mind me asking, Hermione: why would you want to go there?"

"According to legend," Hermione answered, her voice edged by awe as she explained, "Merlin himself was a Slytherin, though I don't really believe it."

"How come?" asked Neville.

"Well he lived before the Founders did, didn't he?"

The thought and question actually earned several laughs from the others before Harry told her, "I think it's more the thought that counts with that little fact, Hermione: the Founders lived nearly a thousand years ago and the legend of Emrys and Arthur dates back not too long before or after that, depending on who you listen to. So who knows?"

Hermione was actually surprised at Harry's change of heart about how he spoke to her, but she said nothing as talk then turned to lessons.

Still, Hermione couldn't help but feel a little anxious and even curious about Harry's inner breaking points.

He wasn't the Boy-Who-Lived, so then…who was he?

_**Dark Shadows**_

It was nearly dark when the Hogwarts Express finally pulled into the station;

In the compartment of the six friends, each member of the group wandered off the train dressed in their school robes, the autumn chill making a few of them shiver while, ahead of them, Harry's expression brightened up as he heard a familiar voice, "Firs' years: over 'ere, please! Come on now, firs' years don' be shy!"

"That's Hagrid," Harry explained to a stunned Hermione when she saw the large man approaching the first year students, "He originally took me into the Alley before I met up with Draco."

"He looks scary," Hermione whispered, before she heard a soft laugh from Harry that had her looking around, "What?"

"He can be when he wants to be," Harry replied, remembering the pig's tail on Dudley before he also wondered whatever had become of those three, not that he cared much after all they'd put him through. "But if you're a friend of his, he can be as gentle as a puppy. Come on, let's follow the rest of them."

As Hermione, Neville, Daphne and Tracey walked along the path behind Harry and Draco, the blonde-haired Malfoy tugged lightly on his blood-brother's arm before he whispered softly, "You don't need to sugar-coat it if you don't want to, Harry: Daphne seems to be a bit similar to us in that she's neutral, but trustworthy. As for Davis, her Mum was a Muggle, so she's a Half-Blood: if anyone could sympathise about Muggle upbringing, it's her."

"I just don't want them feeling sorry for me when they _do_ learn the truth," muttered Harry, earning a nod of understanding from Draco as he added, "I'm not afraid to trust my friends, Drake: I just…I'd just rather let the horrors I experienced back there fade away, that's all."

Walking along the path that led the students behind Hagrid, Harry and the rest of his little group all gasped with awe and wonder as they then got their first look at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was like a shadowed castle lit up by firelight that was like fireflies dancing in the darkness; towers, turrets and courtyards split off from the main building and, as he looked at the castle, Harry felt both comfort and a sense of dread rise in him.

He knew what was waiting for him in the castle, but at the same time, he also knew that here was where all the pain and misery paid off: within these walls, Harry would find his true self and, with Draco and Neville's help as well as their friends, he'd forge his own path.

As the sight of Hogwarts grew larger along the path, Hagrid's own path took them down to a small fleet of boats at the edge of a vast lake: with orders from Hagrid that there was to be no more than four to a boat, Harry climbed into a boat of his own with Draco, Tracey and Hermione accompanying them. Neville and Daphne were joined by a fierce, but strangely-attractive-looking girl who seemed to glare at Harry and Draco as they were joined in their boats by their friends. To Harry's regret, he then saw the last seat in his brother's boat being occupied by the human loudmouth, who seemed to sneer dangerously at Neville and mutter under his breath.

'What I wouldn't give to know what he just said,' thought Harry, before he started slightly as the boat set off across the lake.

As the boats took them across the lake, Harry then saw Draco whispering something else he couldn't make out to Hermione, but whatever it was that he was saying seemed to have an impact on her as she nodded and, when he pulled away, he just shrugged at Harry's inquisitive look.

"Just giving a few words of morale to help ease her worries," explained Draco, but something told Harry that wasn't all he'd said to her.

Still, even Harry was feeling nervous now that they were so close to the school and, as the boats slid onto a shoreline on the other side, he felt his stomach twist up in knots, making the Chocolate Frog he'd eaten earlier feel more like a flipping kangaroo was bouncing around inside him.

Or maybe that was just his heart pounding against his rib-cage, he didn't know.

One by one, the students were led up a long flight of stairs to where Hagrid introduced them to a stern-faced witch with dark hair that was tied up in a bun and square spectacles that, for some reason, made Harry think of the eyes of a cat. As Hagrid identified this witch as Professor McGonagall, Harry thought he saw the stern-looking woman's eyes glance to him and Draco before she began a clearly well-rehearsed speech of welcome for the students.

Once she was done, McGonagall left them to, in her words, tidy themselves up a bit: like any students left on their own, the first-years took this as an opportunity to chat amongst themselves, which was lucky for Harry as he felt someone knock into him. Turning to the source of the knock, he was surprised to find Neville with his hands clenched, his arm being held by Daphne, who apologised to Harry.

"What happened?" asked Harry.

"I nearly fed Weasley to the giant squid is what happened," Neville answered hotly, the magic in the air between the two brothers shifting again as he exclaimed, "He _dared_ to insist that I was unworthy of my name if I was palling around with Bellatrix Lestrange's family and supporting a blood traitor like you. He then asked about our friends and, when I explained about Hermione, not that he _needed_ to know about her, he called her a…a You-Know-What and I _nearly_ threw him in the lake."

"Thankfully, we'd reached the other side," added Daphne, watching as Harry neared Neville and, taking his hand much in the same manner that Neville had done to Harry, the dark-haired wizard breathed deeply before he addressed Neville.

"You defend a friend and you defend our honour," he told the young warrior opposite him, "Thank you, Neville: I see now why exactly our families made us blood-brothers. As for Weasley, don't worry: all things come to those who wait in due time."

"I just can't believe the thick-headed git can't take a hint!" Neville seethed, his hands now trembling as he told Harry, "I'm not afraid of Draco, Harry: you know that, right?"

"I do," answered Harry, "Otherwise why would you accept our bond so easily?"

Neville smiled softly as McGonagall then returned, her eyes filled with a sense of pride as she noticed the friendship and brotherhood between the two wizards. Leading the first-years into the Great Hall – as Harry had learned it to be called – the students found many different sets of eyes and expressions aimed at them as they were led between the four great tables that represented and held the students of the houses.

At the front of the hall, Harry had to keep his own temper in check this time as he saw the twinkling blue eyes that Lucius and Narcissa had spent many hours warning him against. Though with the god-awfully-long beard and stupid-coloured robes that made him look like some sort of magical traffic light, it was pretty easy to pick Dumbledore out even if he stood in a crowd of wizards.

Reaching the front, it was then that something else caught Harry's attention: a dark-haired, hook-nosed professor with cold, dark eyes was watching him from one end of the table. However, as their eyes met, Harry's eyes widened when he saw the _faintest_ of smiles appear on the man's face before he gave a slight nod of his head as though acknowledging the boy before him.

"That's Uncle Severus," whispered Draco as Professor McGonagall revealed the school Sorting Hat, which proceeded to break into song as Draco continued, "Head of Slytherin and the one that Gringotts reminded you of the debt he owes: wow, I actually thought he'd be displeased to see you, but he seems as content as Father was when he returned from business."

Harry just shrugged in response as he muttered, "Maybe Dad had a word with him because of the debt: I guess I'll find out soon, huh?"

As Draco just nodded, the sorting officially began: out of the entire group of six friends, Harry saw Tracey as the first girl up to be sorted.

When the hat was placed on her head, there was a moment of silence before the hat announced, "RAVENCLAW!"

"Now that's surprising," Draco whispered, earning a look from Harry as Marietta Edgecombe went to Ravenclaw as well, "Tracey's Father, Lord Aiden Davis, was a Slytherin as was his Mother: guess the hat must have seen something special in her. Oh look, Hermione's up."

Hermione was indeed up next and, as she approached the hat, Harry smiled softly as he wondered what sort of fate would befall her: personally, he hoped she'd get her wish one way or another.

Whatever powers truly governed Hogwarts and the fate of her students must have heard him as the old hat declared, "SLYTHERIN!"

Even Draco laughed while Harry applauded, though he saw a few of the Slytherins looking uneasy as Daphne was the next one up, her sorting also putting her in Slytherin.

After a few more students, it was Neville's turn: as he sat under the hat, however, Harry _thought_ he felt an air of power wrap around him, a similar wrapping effect taking hold of Draco as he shuddered while the hat made its choice, "RAVENCLAW!"

"At least Tracey's not alone," muttered Harry as Neville handed the hat to Morag MacDougal, who went to Hufflepuff.

Then, at last, it was Draco's turn, but his sorting could have made Harry laugh as the hat had _barely_ touched his brow before it yelled, "SLYTHERIN!"

'Give him a chance to sit down why don't you?' Harry thought, watching as the sorting continued: Lisa Moon went to Ravenclaw while Theodore Nott, the weedy boy that Draco had warned Harry went to Slytherin – as had Crabbe and Goyle, both of them making Harry think of Dudley in their appearances.

The fierce, but attractive-looking girl was then identified as Pansy Parkinson and, as she was sorted into Slytherin as well, she actually smirked at Harry, but not with a cold or bullying air.

In fact, it was almost like she was glad to see him.

A pair of twins named Patil went to Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, while Sally-Anne Perks was sorted into Hufflepuff and, at long last, the name a _lot_ of people had waited for.

"Harry Potter?"

'Here goes,' thought Harry, approaching the hat and, as he went to sit down, the hat just sliding over his eyes, the entire hall went silent as, just like Draco, the hat made its choice immediately.

"SLYTHERIN!"

White faces, horrified expressions and a few speechless gasps were the orders of the day as Harry walked over to the Slytherin Table, hearing applause from Neville and Tracey on the Ravenclaw Table along with a few others. As for the Slytherins, Daphne, Draco, Hermione and, to Harry's surprise, Pansy Parkinson all applauded his sorting, a few others were more applauding out of ceremony and tradition for the sorting.

As Harry sat between Draco and Daphne, he looked to the High Table, a part of him fighting the urge to laugh again as he saw the thunderstruck horror on the face of Albus Dumbledore.

As he glanced down the table, however, two things caught Harry's attention: first, upon seeing the boy's searching glance, Severus Snape lifted his goblet in salute while, next to him, Harry saw a shrewd, but curious-looking professor in maroon robes and a purple turban watching him with his fingers linked over his lips in a look of thought.

Meeting the eyes of this professor, Harry's eyes then widened as he saw the professor smirk and, to his disbelief, _wink_ at Harry before he too raised a goblet in congratulations.

"Who's that?" asked Harry as the human loud mouth was sorted into Gryffindor.

"Don't know," answered Draco as Blaise Zabini became the last and newest member of Slytherin, "But he seems to like you, Harry: by the way, welcome to Slytherin."

"Thanks Draco," replied Harry, looking to the Ravenclaws as he added, "Shame we're not _all_ here."

"Don't worry," Draco answered, putting a hand in Harry's as he added, "We'll find a way to stay together: after all, we promised, didn't we?"

Harry just smiled before he nodded in agreement, leaving Draco to move his hand as the sorting came to a close and the welcome feast began.

Still, Harry couldn't help but glance back to the turban-wearing professor as he tucked into the feast, a part of him feeling a mix of emotions towards the man including curiosity, shock and, above all else, a sense of dread that was mixed with another feeling that Harry had.

He didn't know why, exactly, but he had a strange feeling that he'd _met_ the man somewhere before…

**Chapter 7 and Harry has found himself in the Snake Pit – what else would you expect of me? – but with the trio divided, will this cause any problems for the group?**

**Also, what is so familiar about the strange professor and why was he as warm towards Harry as Severus?**

**Keep Reading to Find Out**

**Next Chapter: First lessons and the trio reunite where Neville gives Harry an insider's story to Ravenclaw; plus, the meeting you've all been waiting for as Harry and Severus collide while Pansy Parkinson introduces herself to Harry and tells him a strange secret…**

**Please Read and Review**

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Quirrell**_

**Okay, since I **_**know**_** people will have a dig, let me just say that, like I've done before, I've altered the parts before the start of this story so, basically, Harry **_**didn't**_** meet Quirrell in the Alley; because of the role he has to play, I needed him as a stranger to Harry for now, so I hope it makes for some interesting reading in what's to come;**

_**AN2: Ravenclaw and Slytherin**_

**Yes, as you can see, I did split the Trinity, but with good reasons: first, to give a certain favourite of ours some Eagle support when she comes up as I find it weird to think of her actually all alone in the House; secondly, because I didn't want to overcrowd Slytherin and send Neville to Gryffindor: seven years with DMW? Bleurgh…Nightmare Central.**

_**AN3: Dramione**_

**Okay, so Draco has met Hermione and seems to help her understand things better in this new world: their friendship and that of the Silver Trio will grow over time, but for now, this is sort of like laying the foundations;**

_**AN4: OOC Parkinson**_

**Now, as you can guess with Pansy, her portrayal is that of Scarlett Byrne, so think of her as a younger, still darkly-attractive, portrayal of that actress; I think it was actually her portrayal that made me respect Pansy more…I don't know;**


	8. Know Your Place

Dark Shadows

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or any of its associated characters; all rights belong to JK Rowling; I do own any OC spells explained at the end of a chapter.

**Plot: **Seeing is Believing Challenge Response: Dark secrets, a new chance at a life he should have lived and shocking revelations concerning his family set Harry Potter on a path into the dark areas of magic, but, to him, there is no good and evil, there is only magic and those worthy to wield it.

**Added Note: **Now, since I _know_ that some people will either complain about repetitions of my old work, I'll just say it again: if you don't like it, then don't read it.

To quote advice from one of my good friends:

_**There is a HUGE difference between constructive criticism and someone who is being rude. I DO NOT like it when people do nothing but complain about my stories. If my story is not your cup of tea then do us both a favor and do not read it. To be ugly about each chapter and never say anything nice is not only annoying, but it is extremely rude. **_

_**I go out of my way to please my readers. I cannot please everyone. In the end, there is really only one person who needs to be pleased. That person would be me.**_

Okay?

So, if for any reason this story doesn't fit your liking, then either go and read something else, or even better, write your own stories; that's what FFN is for, after all. I'm not JK Rowling, so I don't put the characters the same as those brilliant books and films, but still, I am the same as any writer with my work being targeted by negative comments, abusive remarks and, worse of all, plain-minded opinions telling me it's stupid, disbelieving, wrong or just plain ignorant.

Hello?

It's called FAN-FICTION-dot-net for a reason…

Sorry for my little rant there, my loyal readers; I just needed to get that off my chest before we get into the story: so, let's go…

**Dedication: **I'd like to dedicate this story to everyone that's been on that very rocky road with me throughout the year and helped keep my spirits up with all my stories; my recommended reads are _A Familiar's Intuition_ by Dragonsrule18, _Silver Tongue_ by Shadow Hidden By The Moon and _Rewind of Time_ by StormyFireDragon: three amazing stories, the first of which inspired the challenge and this story, so an added thanks to _Dragonsrule18_ for that.

**Key Pairing: **Eventual Harry/Tracey; Eventual Draco/Hermione; Neville/Daphne;

**Other Pairings: **Lucius/Narcissa; Eventual Blaise/Luna; Mentions of Lily/James

Normal Speech

'Thought'

/_Parseltongue_/

**Review Answers:**

**StormyFireDragon: All good things come to he who waits, Storm, but I'm glad you're enjoying my work;**

**EndlessChains: I guess it's one of the all-time favourite scenes in the movies for a reason then, huh?**

**Pathseekerme: He was angry because of how Lucius and Severus are such close friends that Severus told Lucius about his life before Hogwarts; hearing someone else suffer that sort of torment, Lucius saw red;**

**WhiteElfElder: Oh I think his mind is elsewhere at the moment – what else is new, right?**

**BMS: If there are any, I've certainly never read them;**

**Daithi4377: Luna is the reason I did that with Neville and Tracey: like I said, I find it hard to believe that the entire House turned on her: well, now they won't; also, a nice-Severus is a fairly normal thing in my work, but I appreciate the compliment;**

"_Shame we're not all here."_

"_Don't worry," Draco answered, putting a hand in Harry's as he added, "We'll find a way to stay together: after all, we promised, didn't we?"_

_Harry just smiled before he nodded in agreement, leaving Draco to move his hand as the sorting came to a close and the welcome feast began._

_Still, Harry couldn't help but glance back to the turban-wearing professor as he tucked into the feast, a part of him feeling a mix of emotions towards the man including curiosity, shock and, above all else, a sense of dread that was mixed with another feeling that Harry had._

_He didn't know why, exactly, but he had a strange feeling that he'd met the man somewhere before…_

Chapter 8: Learn Your Place

This was some sort of sick-and-twisted bad dream;

That was the only explanation that Albus Dumbledore had for what was going on here: why else would all his hard work and efforts to thwart the design of Harry's sorting and Hogwarts life go so badly?

As every member of Hogwarts tucked into the Welcoming Feast, Dumbledore kept glancing towards the…'shudder'…Slytherin Table with a look of fury and hidden concern in his eyes as he saw Harry being greeted well by two girls he didn't know and the Malfoy brat, the latter of whom also congratulated and supported Harry like…like they were brothers or something.

It was bad enough that Dumbledore's back-up was sent to Ravenclaw – how could a Squib-minded idiot like _that_ go to a House of the Brave? – but with Harry in Slytherin, it carved the path for another Tom to be created.

Now, don't get him wrong, Dumbledore actually saw opportunity with that: if Harry _did_ become another Tom, then it would be even easier to be rid of him when he destroyed said former Slytherin and plant evidence. However, with Harry in Slytherin, Severus would _have_ to be nice to him and watch his back while Lucius could influence the boy to a future that was just plain wrong.

And what if he learned of Lily's secrets?

Secrets should remain secret until the time was chosen for them to be spoken.

And only Albus Dumbledore _chose_ the time for his little martyr to learn those secrets.

Still, there was time: no doubt the older Slytherins would challenge Harry and threaten him and then, with a word to Lucius, he'd probably be _begging_ for Gryffindor before the year was out.

Yes, there was time…

_**Dark Shadows**_

'What a senile old fool!'

This was the thought that ran through the mind of Severus Snape as he saw Dumbledore _finally_ take his eyes off of Harry and Draco and return to his own meal.

No doubt, as Severus could read Dumbledore like a book, the man was making thoughts and plans to use the fact that Harry was following a path similar to the Dark Lord. However, just by looking at Harry, surrounded by friends, supporters and those who cared about him rather than ignoring and leaving him in the shadows, Severus had known one thing.

Harry would only ever follow the Dark Lord's path if he _chose_ to follow it: his will was strong, or so Severus had heard from Lucius in their private conversations since that night, and Harry would only ever follow his own path.

Lucius had told Severus that Harry knew about the truth behind his legacy and his powers, but he didn't know the _bigger_ secret and so, if he was sorted into Slytherin – which he had been – Lucius asked Severus to keep an eye on him without making it obvious that the man saw Harry as an honorary godson.

Indeed, had it not been for Black, then Severus knew that he would have been Harry's godfather, for he knew that Lily had indeed forgiven him for that ill-fated day out by the lake. She'd said so when James had announced that he was to be a Father and, if he were being honest, Severus had never felt better than he did that day.

Albus had _tried_ to use him, but there was only one person to whom Severus Tobias Snape owed any sort of allegiance;

And he was sitting at the Slytherin Table surrounded by friends.

_**Dark Shadows**_

After the feast, in which Harry felt like he was actually looking forwards to the next seven years with friends and family by his side, the Slytherins were led by Cassandra Moon and Marcus Flint – the fifth and seventh-year Prefects of Slytherin – down towards the Slytherin Common Room where, opposite a portrait of a nest of snakes underneath a full moon, the entrance to the Slytherin House Dormitory was revealed.

While Cassandra explained that the password changed on the first of every third month to keep the element of secrecy between the Slytherins alone, Harry took a deep breath as he savoured the dark feel of the world around him. The comforts that he felt from the shadows, as he well knew, were because of his Nethermancy blood: from what he'd read in the books, those who practiced the craft as Inborn felt comfortable and at home in the darkness, though as their powers grew, Inborn Nethermancers would also feel at one with the shadows.

With the password revealed to them, the first-years and their housemates followed their House Prefects into the Common Room, the grandeur and set-up of the place not lost on Harry. The main area was like a large lounge area with several black-leather chairs and a long sofa that stretched in front of the fire.

Behind the lounge area, two tunnels descended downwards into the depths of Hogwarts towards the dormitories while a second annexe to the Common Room was revealed as a private study for the Slytherins with a large magically-protected glass window that, to Harry's amusement and surprise, revealed the depths of the Great Lake.

Once the last of the first-years were gathered, Cassandra turned to them as she spoke with a soft, but cautioning tone, "Welcome to the Slytherin Common Room: it is within these walls that any and all acts of hatred or rivalry shall remain. Out there, in a world where we are seen as Dark Wizards and Death Eaters, we are one: never forget that. Now, boys' dormitories are down the left-hand tunnel, girls are down the right: unlike other Houses, we have allocated twin dorms to each year, so it will be you and one other member of your gender. There are no arguments and no swapping around because you can't stand someone!"

There seemed to be a dropped hint or two in there as Harry saw Cassandra eyeing him and Hermione as she said this, "At some point during the week, Professor Severus Snape, our Head of House, will call on you for what we call a Welcome Meet and, trust me, if _any_ of you lose this House its points or cost us our pride, you _will_ know about the repercussions from him. Now, lights out in forty minutes, so acquaint yourselves with the Common Room in that time and, once again, welcome to Slytherin."

With that, she left for her own dorm, leaving the first-years to split up, though Harry, Draco, Daphne and Hermione stayed together as they turned to face one another, the dark-haired first-year heaving a sigh as he mused, "So, I guess we should go and see who's with whom."

"Five Sickles says you and Draco are together," Daphne laughed, earning a snigger from Draco.

"No bet," laughed the blonde-haired male, his eyes on Harry as he added, "Like I said, Harry: Uncle Sev's my godfather and, if you've earned his approval, then he'll have made sure that the Slytherin magic put us together."

"Only one way to find out," Harry reasoned, making his way to the boys' dormitory tunnel while Daphne and Hermione disappeared down the girls' tunnel.

The deeper parts of the tunnel, Harry then discovered, were where the Slytherins' first-and-second-year dormitories were kept, each one divided by a large door on each level that held the corresponding number of the year. So, for the first-years, their dorms were almost completely held in the darkness of the depths underneath Hogwarts.

As the boys opened the first-years' wing, they stepped through the door and, just as Draco and Daphne had predicted, he and Harry were indeed together, with Blaise Zabini and Vincent Crabbe sharing another dorm and Theo Nott and Greg Goyle sharing the last one for the Slytherin boys.

Entering their dormitory, Harry heaved a sigh of comforted relief when he saw the two large four-poster beds already set up, the green-and-silver hangings of their curtains and the bedcovers making him feel more at home than ever. Two large chests of drawers were set on either side of the room – one each for Harry and Draco – while a single wardrobe stood between the two beds. Next to the chest of drawers on Harry's side was a door that led off to a bathroom that, to his relief, was only for him and Draco.

The final, and most-amusing, surprise for the dark-haired wizard was when he saw Hedwig and Erebus already settled on top of the wardrobe, both of them undoubtedly having flown through a chimney tunnel or even through a hidden area of the castle since the Slytherins were practically in the belly of the castle.

Changing into their night-clothes, Harry sat down on his bed while Draco checked his school things for the next morning: as he did so, the Malfoy Heir looked over to his brother before he told him, "Don't worry, Harry: Neville will be okay."

"I'm not worried about Neville," Harry told him, before he laughed as he added, "Okay, maybe I _am_, but that's not what's got me so worried."

"Hermione?" asked Draco, earning a nod from Harry before he explained, "Daphne will look out for her: she's Neville's betrothed and part of our circle, so she won't let anything happen to Hermione. Even if she does for some reason or another, I'd like to see the Slytherins crossing your path when you're in possession of so many gifts and strengths. If we're not careful, you could wind up being the Slytherin King by the year's end."

Looking up at his blood-brother, Harry's eyes narrowed as he asked, "The who?"

"The Slytherin King," answered Draco, now sitting down on his own bed as he explained, "Each House has Prefects while there's a Head Boy and Girl, but what very few people outside the Houses know is that each House also has a hierarchy and, at the top of that hierarchy, there's the King or Queen. The one voice that the students _must_ listen to and obey the wishes of aside from their Head of House: I don't know who our King is now, but if you wanted, you could challenge them for that title and, if you won, then it would be you whom Slytherin bows to."

"Draco," laughed Harry, "I know I'm Grindelwald's grandson, but I don't want people bowing to me…well, maybe not yet anyway."

"I know you don't, little brother," Draco reasoned, earning a smile from Harry at the term before he continued, "But the King's word _is_ law in the House and anyone that the King decrees untouchable becomes just that. In fact, I don't want you to use this as a reason _not_ to think on it, but You-Know-Who himself was apparently King in his day."

Contrary to Draco's opinion, Harry wasn't scared or intimidated by that fact:

On the contrary, it seemed to amuse him as he asked, "Now why doesn't _that_ surprise me?"

_**Dark Shadows**_

In the Ravenclaw Dormitory, after being given the rules of the road for their dorm and their Housemates, Neville and Tracey stood alone in one corner of the room, the fair-haired young witch looking to the final member of the trio of brothers that they had known and met on the train.

"You okay?" asked Tracey, earning a nod as well as a shiver from Neville before she continued, "No you're not, what is it?"

"I…I guess it's just the bond that I share with Harry and Draco," explained Neville, rubbing his arms as he told her, "We're…we're so far apart, but now that our bond has been confirmed, we…well, I don't want to sound possessive, but I feel like we _need_ to be together. Or maybe I'm just feeling the cold of the Slytherin dormitories through them."

"Maybe," agreed Tracey, giving Neville a calm pat on the shoulder as she added, "But then again, your betrothed is also a Slytherin, so maybe your magic is missing her presence: don't let it bother you, Neville. If I know Harry and Draco, they're probably trying to come up with ways to keep the band together despite our colours."

Neville just smiled before he asked, "What makes you so sure they're doing this?"

"I don't know," Tracey admitted, her own eyes narrowed as she added, "It's…it's just a feeling I get, but I think that it has something to do with Harry. He seems to be both a leader and a member of a greater power than we could understand: like anyone else, I was shocked to learn who he was, but then there's how close he and Draco are."

"You think Draco's turned him?"

"No," Tracey answered, shaking her head as she explained, "Because Draco's not evil, Neville: none of the Malfoys are. Evil is just another way of saying people do things in a way we don't like: besides, I don't know why, but when I look at Harry and how he acts around others, I can't help but feel for him."

"In what way?"

Tracey seemed to think on her answer before she repeated, "I don't know; it's just…just a feeling."

"Like there's more to him than meets the eye," Neville remarked, earning a nod from Tracey as he continued, "Something that he'll tell you in his own time, but at the same time, you can see it hurting him already."

"Y-Yeah," Tracey nodded, now looking to Neville with curiosity as she asked, "You felt it too?"

"No," Neville answered, putting a hand to his heart as he explained, "But when our bond formed, I felt this great pain from Harry that made me realise I couldn't really judge either of them: him or Draco. Harry trusts them and, despite my doubts and fears, he also trusts Lord and Lady Malfoy."

"Still having doubts about Bellatrix Lestrange?" asked Tracey, earning a shrug from Neville before, apparently done with their conversation, he turned and made his way up to his dorm, which was being shared by the lanky, slightly-creepy-looking pre-teen Michael Corner.

As for Tracey, she was sharing a dorm with Padma Patil and, as she went to bed that night, Tracey had to ignore the questions sent to her by the young witch about Harry and his friends while she thought on what Neville had said.

Harry had a pain; one that he didn't show to anyone except those he knew he could trust with the secrets.

However, from what they'd discussed, Tracey had a distinct feeling that she and Harry also shared some sort of connection:

How else could she know how to feel about there being more to him than meets the eye?

_**Dark Shadows**_

Early the next morning, Draco tried not to show any sort of reaction when he awoke to an empty bed next to his, the folded night-clothes on his bed telling him that Harry was already up and about. Checking the time, Draco noted that they had nearly twenty minutes before breakfast started, but still, his brother's early rising wasn't really anything new.

Narcissa had usually caught him up and about before the rest of the house and, on one such occasion, she'd had to comfort him when one of the House Elves had startled Harry in the kitchens while he was making breakfast. That was when the Knut had finally dropped for Draco on just how much being around him and his family had changed Harry and now, whenever Harry was up and about before him, Draco couldn't help but feel a hint of concern.

Dressing in his Hogwarts robes for their lessons ahead, the Malfoy Heir left the dorm and, as he climbed up through the tunnel towards the Common Room, Draco was then surprised when, the closer he got to the Common Room, the colder it seemed to get.

As he passed the seventh-year wing, Draco's breath was now as clear as fog to him and, reaching the mouth of the tunnel, he saw why that was: Harry was standing in the centre of the chairs and lounge area in the Common Room, his hands clenched and his eyes filled with rage. At the same time, Draco also saw frost covering the floor and the finely-crafted marble of the fireplace.

'Harry's Ice power has started to manifest itself already?' wondered the Malfoy Heir, recalling how Harry's heritage test had revealed him to have more than Shadow at his elemental command. 'What could have caused it?'

"Draco, is that you?"

Turning to the other tunnel, Draco's eyes widened when he saw Hermione standing in the mouth of her own tunnel, her hair messier than ever while she was dressed in a pair of girls' pyjamas, her hands shivering as she too felt the cold.

"What…what happened?" asked Draco, his answer coming to him when Harry spoke again.

"How _dare_ you treat her like that!" he hissed, his voice like the ice that surrounded him: as Draco looked, he then gasped as he saw the reason for the cold.

Theo Nott and Millicent Bulstrode were both stuck to the wall space between the lounge and the annexe, their hands covered by icy prisons while their eyes were wide with disbelief.

"You _dare_ exile her because she's Muggle-born!" snarled Harry, the reason now even clearer than ever to Draco as he saw Hermione lower her head, "And here I was thinking that Slytherins were equal and fair-minded to those of their own."

"Y-Y-Y-You d-d-d-don't know a-a-a-anything, P-P-P-Potter!" stammered Theo, their little conflict now earning gasps as the rest of the House had joined the group forming around Harry, "A-A-A filthy h-h-half-blood M-M-M-Mudblood's spawn can't unders-s-stand his betters!"

Harry now seemed to relax, his eyes closed as he walked towards Nott; at the side of the conflict, Draco slapped his forehead with a look of dread as he whispered, "Oh, Nott: you _had_ to go there, didn't you?"

Even though he and Nott were now closer than before, the entire dorm still heard Harry's voice as he told the weedy boy, "Call my Mother a Mudblood…one more time!"

"Mud…AAHHHHH!" Theo cried, and with good reason: as soon as the word had come out of his mouth, Harry's _other_ element had come out, a part of Draco wondering how long Harry had been able to use it as he saw black lightning bolts plunged into Nott's gut, the scream coming from the burn being left as Harry thumped him _hard, _his hand covered by the lightning bolts on his skin.

Pulling his hand away from Nott, Harry turned to face the rest of the Slytherins before he asked icily, "Anyone else got a problem with those whose blood is different?"

"Who the hell do you think you are, Potter?" shrieked a thick female voice; from behind Hermione, a thick-set female figure appeared, her eyes a deep shade of topaz while her hair was done up in a red-haired braid.

As she approached Harry, she continued with her yelling as she asked, "Do you think you rule this House? You're nothing more than new meat for the rest of us: unless, of course, you challenge the Authority."

"I do!" hissed Harry, looking to the male area as he added, "I challenge the authority of this so-called Slytherin King: I didn't want to, but it's clear to me that this place needs bringing into the 20th century!"

"Very well," sneered the female, standing to her full height as she told him, "I, Annabelle Nott, as my right as Slytherin _Queen_, accept your challenge: when and where?"

Now Harry looked stunned, but he just smirked as he asked, "What? You think I'll back down because you're a girl? No, Miss Nott: not when my friends are your targets. Now at least I know where _Teddy_ thinks he can run rampant over Slytherin: so how about right here, right _now?_"

"Fine!" Annabelle agreed, using her wand to clear the area around them as she told him, "And when you lose, Potter, you will spend the rest of your year as my personal servant!"

Draco almost flinched when he saw the Elder Wand appear in his brother's hand, the magic now radiating off of him in waves that seemed to melt the ice and frost summoned by him beforehand.

As Theo and Millicent were cut down from their places, Harry and Annabelle gave the customary salutes before the duel began: Annabelle started with a flurry of spells that Draco was almost certain Harry wouldn't be able to counter. However, to his shock and most of the students, Harry's first spell was the _Protego Totalum_ spell, which absorbed and deflected the spells with ease.

As Annabelle grew ferocious with her choice of spells, Harry went back to basics: he used a Knockback Jinx when Annabelle went for a high shot, catching her in the stomach before he cast a Disarming spell and, to the shock of the fifth years in the House, he also cast a perfect Incarcerous Hex that bound Annabelle like a mummy.

Catching her wand in his hand, Harry approached the girl and stood over her form, his wand pointed between her eyes as he told her, "Do you yield?"

Annabelle spat at him, before she lowered her eyes, clearly saying less than needed to be said as Harry lowered his wand, wiping the spit from his face at the same time as he told her, "I won't humiliate you further, Miss Nott, but I hope this shows the rest of you what I will do if you come after me and my friends: you may have thought I was a weak half-blood, but you couldn't be more wrong. My Mother, though I won't reveal whom exactly, but my Mother was a pureblood witch and she gave her life to protect mine: anyone who insults her won't just get the silent treatment, I _will_ fight back."

Draco could almost feel the power radiating off of Harry as he continued, "Now, according to tradition, if what Draco told me is right, defeating the higher power around here makes _me_ the new King, yes?"

"That's right," answered Pansy Parkinson, Daphne now appearing to take Hermione back to the dorm to get changed while Pansy, stepping forwards, gave Harry a soft smile as she asked, "May I have the honour of being the first to kneel before the new King?"

"I'd prefer you didn't, but go on then," smirked Harry, watching as Pansy dropped to one knee before Draco did the same thing: one by one, the rest of the Housemates did the same before Harry, releasing Annabelle, asked her, "Will you?"

"Rules are rules," Annabelle hissed, before she went to her knees as she told him in a softer tone, "Forgive a doubting fool, my King."

"It's not _me_ you have to get the forgiveness of, Annabelle," Harry told her, returning the girl's wand to her as he added, "Apologies should always come from the heart and be directed at those who matter. I know what it is to be a target for lies, discrimination and even pain: I don't _enjoy_ causing pain on others if I can help it, but as my life has changed a lot recently, I also know that I have to fight back. I may be Harry Potter, but I am also a Slytherin and, like it or not, I'm not going anywhere."

With that, he lifted his hand, giving each of the Slytherins the right to rise before him as he added, "We are one: remember those words? Well, from now on, any Slytherin who doesn't will answer to me or, if I'm feeling merciful, Professor Snape. Let's show Hogwarts that Slytherins aren't evil, degenerate monsters…that's just one side of us."

He smiled slyly as he said this, earning laughs from Draco and a few of the Slytherins as he continued, "Now, breakfast is in ten minutes, so go and get ready and remember, in here _and_ out there, we are one!"

The Slytherins left their King alone, Draco now taking the chance to approach Harry as he asked him, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," nodded Harry, letting Draco hold him while he shook with a pain that none of them would see or know, "I…I didn't want to do it, Drake, but they locked Hermione out of the dorm and had her sleeping under a blanket on the chairs."

Looking to the chairs, Draco then saw the threadbare blanket draped over one side, a slight dampness from tears and frost lining the arm of the chairs; as Harry straightened up, Draco sighed as he asked, "You compared that to them, didn't you?"

"I won't let _any _person, no matter what House they may be, feel that pain," Harry told him, his green eyes glowing as he added, "I'll take on every member of Hogwarts if I have to, but it's time for the bigotry to stop!"

"Your parents would be pleased to hear you say that," smiled Draco, before he put a hand on Harry's shoulder as he added, "And I mean both yours and Mum and Dad."

Harry just nodded.

"That _was_ an honourable thing you did, Harry," Pansy Parkinson then remarked, earning a look from Harry: he hadn't even been aware of her sticking around.

As she approached him and Draco, Pansy held out her hand as she asked, "May I?"

With a smile, Harry shook the girl's hand before, to his surprise, she embraced him like a friend; as Draco looked on in shock, however, Harry's heart stopped dead with her next words.

"But what else can I expect of the grandson of Gellert Grindelwald?"

**Chapter 8 and, uh oh, someone knows who Harry is: has his secret been leaked or is Pansy more than she appears?**

**Also, with one kingdom now acquired, can Harry change Hogwarts for the better or will others suffer?**

**Keep Reading to Find Out**

**Next Chapter: The meeting you've all been waiting for as Harry and Severus collide; plus, with a new King on the throne, Slytherin starts to slowly embrace the fact that the past is in the past; and, to top it all off, Harry gets a rather cryptic message from Professor Quirrell while Pansy explains how she knows who he is;**

**Please Read and Review**

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Slytherin King**_

**Okay, so it's a popular theme to use for Slytherin-Harry stories, but this one was actually inspired by one of my recommended reads:**

_**Silver Tongue**_** by Shadow Hidden by the Moon**

**I give all credit to the original creator for the idea, but unlike normal Slytherin King stories, this time it isn't about power **_**and**_** respect, it's more about change, so I hope you enjoy what's coming;**

_**AN2: Smart Harry**_

**Now, I've said this before, but let me just remind you that this **_**is**_** one of those cases where Harry knows more than he lets on; and besides, in case you forgot, he **_**did**_** spend the summer at Malfoy Manor learning his craft, so it makes a sort of sense that he knows more than basic first-year stuff;**


	9. Suspicious Minds

Dark Shadows

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or any of its associated characters; all rights belong to JK Rowling; I do own any OC spells explained at the end of a chapter.

**Plot: **Seeing is Believing Challenge Response: Dark secrets, a new chance at a life he should have lived and shocking revelations concerning his family set Harry Potter on a path into the dark areas of magic, but, to him, there is no good and evil, there is only magic and those worthy to wield it.

**Added Note: **Now, since I _know_ that some people will either complain about repetitions of my old work, I'll just say it again: if you don't like it, then don't read it.

To quote advice from one of my good friends:

_**There is a HUGE difference between constructive criticism and someone who is being rude. I DO NOT like it when people do nothing but complain about my stories. If my story is not your cup of tea then do us both a favor and do not read it. To be ugly about each chapter and never say anything nice is not only annoying, but it is extremely rude. **_

_**I go out of my way to please my readers. I cannot please everyone. In the end, there is really only one person who needs to be pleased. That person would be me.**_

Okay?

So, if for any reason this story doesn't fit your liking, then either go and read something else, or even better, write your own stories; that's what FFN is for, after all. I'm not JK Rowling, so I don't put the characters the same as those brilliant books and films, but still, I am the same as any writer with my work being targeted by negative comments, abusive remarks and, worse of all, plain-minded opinions telling me it's stupid, disbelieving, wrong or just plain ignorant.

Hello?

It's called FAN-FICTION-dot-net for a reason…

Sorry for my little rant there, my loyal readers; I just needed to get that off my chest before we get into the story: so, let's go…

**Dedication: **I'd like to dedicate this story to everyone that's been on that very rocky road with me throughout the year and helped keep my spirits up with all my stories; my recommended reads are _A Familiar's Intuition_ by Dragonsrule18, _Silver Tongue_ by Shadow Hidden By The Moon and _Rewind of Time_ by StormyFireDragon: three amazing stories, the first of which inspired the challenge and this story, so an added thanks to _Dragonsrule18_ for that.

**Key Pairing: **Eventual Harry/Tracey; Eventual Draco/Hermione; Neville/Daphne;

**Other Pairings: **Lucius/Narcissa; Eventual Blaise/Luna; Mentions of Lily/James

Normal Speech

'Thought'

/_Parseltongue_/

**Review Answers:**

**StormyFireDragon: More is about to change than you might suspect, Storm;**

**Dragonsrule18: Ah, now that would be telling, but I think this chapter should answer that question for you;**

**EndlessChains: Changes happen slowly, but surely and I think you'll like what's coming;**

**WhiteElfElder: Hm, what an interesting little idea;**

**Belgrath: Well, I **_**was**_** going to say that Gellert is actually dead in this story rather than just rotting in his own filth, but I think I have an idea to answer your question, so thanks for that;**

**Gracealma: Actually, it's Neville and **_**Daphne**_** while Hermione is going to be with Draco;**

**DragonTamer01: Hm, interesting scenario;**

**BMS: He received it back in Gringotts in Ch. 2 or 3, but I'm glad you enjoyed the scene;**

**Daithi4377: You might need more than seatbelts when you see what's coming up, my friend;**

_As she approached him and Draco, Pansy held out her hand as she asked, "May I?"_

_With a smile, Harry shook the girl's hand before, to his surprise, she embraced him like a friend; as Draco looked on in shock, however, Harry's heart stopped dead with her next words._

"_But what else can I expect of the grandson of Gellert Grindelwald?"_

Chapter 9: Suspicious Minds

"What…what did you say?"

Harry, barely holding onto his consciousness at the shock of someone knowing his secret before he told them, turned to face an equally-stunned Hermione, who was still standing next to Draco, her eyes wide with disbelief as she stared at her friend.

"Draco," Harry replied, indicating down the girls' tunnel as he told his brother, "Take Hermione to get changed; I promise I'll explain later," he added when Hermione opened her mouth to argue.

As Draco led Hermione back to her dormitory, Harry turned back to Pansy before he told her, "Come with me."

Without a word, the new Slytherin King led Pansy back to his dorm, the young Parkinson Heiress not even reacting to his shock as he invited her into his dorm – the only way those under fifth year could enter dorms of the opposite sex – before he closed the door behind her.

Alone with Pansy, Harry walked around to his bed before he sighed deeply and, leaning his head against one of the four posts, he closed his eyes, feeling a mild fatigue settle in from his duel with the elder Nott.

Once he was sure that he had recovered, Harry lifted his head before he asked, "How did you know?"

"I've always known," Pansy replied, her voice soft, but edged by a sense of comfort as she explained, "The Noble House of Parkinson, my Mother's House, has always been affiliated with the Dark and its leaders, Harry. Over fifty years ago, my Grandfather, Guilford Parkinson, pledged his support and life to the service of Gellert Grindelwald: when he was defeated by Dumbledore, the loyalty vow remained and has done since that day. My Mother, Dahlia Parkinson, had a bit of a rivalry with your Mother, but she did it so that no-one would suspect that she was, in fact, loyal to the Grindelwald legacy."

"Guildford, Dahlia, Pansy," muttered Harry, smiling softly as he asked, "Your family's got a thing for plant names, don't they?"

Pansy sniggered while she told him, "I know your Mother didn't find out about her legacy until much later, but when I saw you yesterday, I knew that you had come back from the same dark place that your Mother was left in. And so, as is only befitting for the vow my grandfather swore, I, Pansy Kristen Parkinson, am here to tell you that you have my undying support, friendship and allegiance, my Lord Grindelwald. I will follow you, to hell and back, I will do what you ask and your enemies shall be mine."

"I appreciate that," Harry told her, before he sighed as he added, "I just hope you realise that I am not like my grandfather, Pansy: I don't demand loyalty unless I'm forced to do so like with Nott and Hermione out there. However, I welcome your friendship and, as such, I'm asking you to help Daphne help Hermione to adjust and settle in here. Can you do that for me?"

"Hermione was my roommate before Bulstrode chose to lock her out for being a Muggle-born," explained Pansy, her voice filled with sincerity as she told him, "I told her that it was a bad move, but Millie's one of these prim and proper Daddy's girl types. Regardless, I will do everything in my power to make sure the rest of our House knows and accepts Hermione as one of us, my King."

"Thank you, Pansy," nodded Harry, slipping his robe up to his shoulder before he told her, "Now come on, let's get to breakfast."

Pansy nodded in reply before she followed the Slytherin King out of the dormitory and up the tunnel back towards the Common Room…

_**Dark Shadows**_

When the Slytherins followed their King into the Great Hall, there were members of the school who looked to them with a sense of awed disbelief while others scoffed as they saw Harry walk in like he ruled the roost and owned the place.

Taking their seats at the Slytherin Table, Harry turned to the Ravenclaw Table where he saw Tracey and Neville watching him with the same disbelief that was shared by most of the students.

As he gave them both a curt nod of his head, Harry then turned back to the table before he told the other Slytherins, "Well? Tuck in: no need to stand on ceremony around here."

The Slytherins all began to help themselves to their breakfast while Harry, turning now to Hermione, leaned in close before he whispered, "I'll tell you everything after last period today, Hermione. All you need to know is that your fears are groundless and that you and others who might have heard Pansy say what she said have nothing to fear from me."

Hermione gulped, but she nodded with understanding while Harry helped himself to a fresh plate of scrambled eggs on toast; as he tucked into his meal, the new Slytherin King then lifted a hand and, to the surprise of the other snakes, he took his timetable from Professor Snape, who was walking behind him at that moment.

Eyeing the timetable and the plans for his lessons, Harry hummed softly before his eyes narrowed as he felt an extra piece of parchment attached to his timetable; pulling it out, the new King mused, "What's this?"

Turning it over, he read the note that had been scrawled;

_My office after breakfast, come with Draco;_

_Professor Severus Snape_

"It was inevitable," sighed Harry, before he looked up and, with a scowl, he muttered, "Suddenly I'm not very hungry."

Draco looked in the direction of his brother's gaze and, with a scowl of his own, he saw why:

Ronald Loudmouth had table manners that made monkeys look civil…and no-one was doing _anything_ to correct him.

_**Dark Shadows**_

Severus Snape's office was located not too far down from the Slytherin dormitories:

Led by Draco, Harry walked with a sense of confidence and pride as he made his way to the man's chambers, a part of him amused at the fact that the Potions Master was calling on him now while another part, a part of him that he had thought long since beaten, actually felt anxious about what the man wanted with him.

If he did or said anything to try and jeopardise the comfort levels and contentment that Harry had enjoyed over the summer, then Harry knew he'd have no other choice than to teach a lesson once again. And this time, unlike the Nott heiress, he would need to possibly resort to using the life-debt owed to him by the Head of Slytherin.

Stopping outside the door, Harry then turned before he told Draco, "No matter what, do what you can to keep me calm in here, would you, bro?"

Draco nodded before he knocked on the door, the curt, almost-apathetic tone of the Slytherin Head's voice speaking from the other side as he bade them entry. Once inside the office, Harry felt an air of impressed emotion settle around him as he examined his surroundings: Severus' office was fairly simple, though it personified his strengths.

Jars and vials of potions lined a shelf behind the desk where the Slytherin Head sat while, along one other wall, there were framed certificates marking the man's Masteries in Healing, Defensive Magic, Potions Making and Craft and, finally, the arts of Mind Magic. A second door was on the wall opposite and, as Harry looked to this door, he assumed it either led to the man's chambers or a not-so-secret entrance to the Slytherin Dormitory.

As for the Potions Master himself, he was sat behind the desk with a few papers in his hands, his dark eyes lifting to Harry's green eyes before he spoke with that even-levelled tone of his, "Mr Potter, Mr Malfoy: thank you for coming so quickly. Close the door, Mr Malfoy: we have much to discuss."

As Draco closed the door, Harry felt a wall of emotion like no magic that he had sensed before now wrap itself around his mind; at the same time, Severus' lips twitched with amusement as he told Harry, "Interesting natural defences there, Potter: you have your Mother's gift with that, I see."

"And more, Professor," answered Harry softly, his voice edged by curiosity as he asked, "Now, though I hate to be so informal with you, what do you want with me?"

"To talk," answered Severus, "And to meet you face-to-face now that you seem to be doing much better."

"What do you mean?" asked Harry, his hand snaking towards his wand as he was prepared for any sort of outcome: he still felt nervous – this _was_ a teacher, after all – but if the man posed a threat, then Harry was ready.

"I mean," answered Severus, his voice low, but calm as he explained, "That you may remember some time ago when Lucius made an unannounced departure from the Manor, am I right, Draco?"

"Yes," Draco replied, his voice just as low as the Potions Master's as he told him, "Father took…his old work clothes with him and, when he returned, he was calmer and used the calm he felt to swear fealty to Harry."

"Do you know where he went?" asked Severus, earning shakes of the head from both boys as he continued, "He came to my home, located in the street of Spinner's End in Cokeworth, where he told me of what he'd seen."

"What?" asked Harry suddenly, his eyes wide with disbelief as he asked, "Why would he do that? I mean, I know he was angry, but why…"

"He was angry because you reminded him of when _we_ were children, Harry," Severus interrupted, the use of the boy's first name doing enough to shock him back into an almost-calm state as Severus went on, "When I was your age, my Father was an abuser and someone that delighted in tormenting me with punishments and harm, the types of which were mirrored on you. When Lucius met me at Hogwarts, along with your dear Mother, he heard about my injuries and, against my wishes, he went to teach my Father a lesson."

"What did he do?" asked Harry.

"He sent him to a Muggle mental hospital," explained Severus, earning a confused look from Harry before Severus reiterated his point, "He tormented and broke the man's mind to the point where every sound and every single unfamiliar movement was like a demon in the darkness for my Father. At that time, I knew that I had a fond friend and ally in him, which was helpful because, at the time, I had…I'd made a mistake that nearly cost me a life-long friendship…or so I thought until nearly twelve years ago when your Mother came to me and, in the name of the friendship we once shared, she asked me to watch over you. Because my mistakes had cost me so much already and forced my decisions down a path that I could not control, I told her that I would do my best."

"So where did you and Father go after he came to you, Uncle Sev?" asked Draco, actually stunned by what he was hearing: both about his Father's actions against Severus' family and about the truth concerning Severus' respect for Harry.

"Where do you think, Dragon?" asked Severus, now earning a blush from Draco while Harry embraced his brother fondly, the two of them knowing that it was something Draco was used to, though only Harry called him _Drake_.

With a look to Harry, and a smile that was hidden from _years _of practice, Severus continued, "We went to the monsters that put you in that state and forced Lucius to recall his rage and fury from that night. _That's_ why he accidentally hit you like he did, Harry: whenever Lucius hears about child abuse, he is reminded of that night. The fact that you are…well, you only made it worse and, trust me, I know he is _very_ sorry for what he did to you."

"I know that too, Professor," Harry told him, his voice now edged by a sense of pure dark curiosity as he asked, "So what did you do to…to _them?_"

"We combined expertise from our shared old _occupation,_" explained Severus, the mention of an old workplace making Harry's mind whirl with new suspicion and anxiety, but he managed to hold it down as Severus continued. "Harry, I'm not going to lie to you: I loved Lily like a sister and, in my own way, like a guy crushing on a girl, but when she told me that she had forgiven me, I knew that our relationship would only ever be sibling-based. That's why I told her that I would look out for you and, it's because of how I was unable to follow through on that loyalty and promise that I did what I did."

"Which is?"

"I tortured Petunia and her _husband,_" explained Severus, his voice edged by distaste as he spoke of Vernon, "Using spells that I myself had created and perfected and, if you so wish it, I'll teach you, I broke her and her family and left them begging for mercy. But by then, I was _so_ possessed by my fury and a thirst for revenge that I have not felt since the night I held Lily's dead body in my arms that…that I threw them to the lions…_literally._"

"Sweet Merlin!" gasped Draco, but he fell silent as he saw Harry standing there with shock and a sense of disbelief in his green eyes; taking his brother's hand, Draco asked, "You okay, Harry?"

"You…" gasped Harry, his hand now shaking as he pointed to Severus, "You…are you saying you…you were there that night?"

"Yes," Severus replied, his voice edged by a sense of sorrow as he told Harry, "I went to the house and…well, come here…"

As Harry walked around the desk, Severus reached into one of the larger drawers behind his desk before he withdrew a stone basin that was covered with runes and strange designs. At the same time, the man lifted his wand to his temples before he looked Harry in the eyes, the green eyes of the boy filled with shock and questioning emotions.

"You probably won't remember what I'm about to show you," Severus explained, indicating the basin as he added, "But this device, Harry, which is called a Pensieve, can show you what I was doing there. After you emerge from the memory, I want you to know that, in her name and in the name of the promise I failed to heed, I will help you as Lucius and Narcissa are doing. More to the point, I welcome you and consider you as precious to me as I do every single one of my snakes: now, pay attention."

Turning to the Pensieve, Harry watched as Severus dropped a white, liquid-like strand into the basin, the liquids in the basin shifting uncontrollably as Severus took Harry's hand before he helped him stick his head into the memory.

_Flashback Start_

_Severus Snape walked up a set of dark stairs, thunder and lightning crashing in the background while the house looked like it had been involved in an explosion. As he walked up the stairs, Severus' eyes widened with terror as he saw the body of a man lying eagle-spread over the top steps, his eyes, which were held behind wire-frame glasses, filled with fear that would never fade. _

_Passing over the man's body without so much as a backwards glance, Severus appeared to stagger towards an end room, his mind, heart and soul feeling colder than cold as he approached the room. _

_Just beyond the door, Severus' heart was almost turned to stone as he looked upon the dead body of Lily Evans, a sobbing baby sitting up in the cot behind the body; practically falling through the door, Severus dropped to his knees and held Lily's body in his arms while, behind him, the baby sobbed out, "Mama…mama…"_

_"__I'm sorry…Harry," Severus whispered, tears rolling down his cheeks as he whispered to the body in his arms, "If I __hadn't __broken my promise; Lily…please…forgive me…"_

_Flashback End_

"I…I never knew that," Harry whispered, emerging from the Pensieve as he looked to his Head of House before he asked, "Why didn't you take me with you if you were there?"

"I couldn't," Severus told him, his voice edged with regret as he explained, "Because of how I was too close to the forces that would seek to destroy you, I knew I couldn't take you with me. But then Hagrid appeared and he took you to Privet Drive where the headmaster was waiting: Harry, I swear that if I could go back and change things…"

"It wouldn't change anything," Harry told him, his voice edged by a hint of loss as he told Severus, "Whatever the truth or the secrets, nothing can change what happened. All we can do is forge ahead with a future that we make for ourselves: I confess that I was worried when you asked to meet me because Draco believed you would hate me, but now…"

"I wanted to," Severus told him, his voice edged by a hint of truth as he explained, "But when Lucius came to my house and told me that he needed my help for your sake, I found myself thinking of you less as the mongrel's child I'd originally thought of you as and more as Lily's son. Also, though I suspect he never told you, but Lucius told _me_ about your Nethermancy gifts and your abilities, but he said that there was another secret: one that you yourself had to decide whether or not you tell me."

"And he was right," Harry replied, his eyes lowered as he told the man, "But before I decide whether or not I trust you, I need to know: who's ally are you, Severus Snape? Dumbledore's? Voldemort's? Someone else?"

"My loyalty is to Lily," explained Severus, lifting his sleeve before he revealed a mark that Harry had seen only once on Lucius' arm as he added, "And to you, Harry: this _thing_ on my arm means nothing anymore, not when its creation led to the death of my best friend and honorary sister. Wherever you go, Light or Dark, I will follow: I know I owe your Father a debt and I will do all in my power to repay it with whatever you ask."

"I'll keep that in mind," sighed Harry, before he looked to Draco, who nodded in unspoken agreement as Harry continued, "But since I now know where you stand, I guess you deserve to know. You avenged my pains and honoured my Mother's memory, but be warned, Severus: if anyone _else_ should discover what I'm about to tell you, I _will_ use my Father's debt and it won't be for repayment…understand?"

"I…understand," Severus nodded, watching as Harry drew himself to his full height before he announced it;

"My Mother, whom you knew as Lily, was really called _Lilian_…the daughter of Gellert Grindelwald."

_**Dark Shadows**_

"Great Salazar, I've never seen Severus as scared as he was there."

Harry didn't really know what to say as Draco accompanied him back to the Common Room at the end of the first day; after a day of introductory lessons, during which the two brothers found time to reunite with their third and spend time together, Harry was ready for bed, but he had one last task to accomplish.

"I wonder why he was so scared," Harry reasoned, speaking the password to open the entrance, "In any case, something tells me that he won't be the only one. Although I thought that Daphne had taken Hermione to get changed before I asked you to do it?"

"She must have doubled back seeing Pansy approach you like that," Draco replied, before he nudged Harry as he added, "Face it, little brother: like it or not, the Slytherin King is slowly building his court."

Harry just smiled before he and Draco made their way down to Hermione's dorm to share the news with their _Court_.

Harry just hoped that they'd be as okay with it as he was.

_**Dark Shadows**_

As it turned out, Hermione actually _did_ feel a sense of understanding as she realised that Harry wasn't like his grandfather, though when Daphne learned about it, she asked if she could share the secret with Neville and Tracey. Telling her that it was his plan to fill in the rest of their _Court_ with the secret before the end of the week, Harry had been allowed to let it go with that remark before he'd called it a night.

The rest of their first week in the countdown to their first Potions lesson with Severus was rather interesting for Harry: although most of the tasks – like the Alohomora Charm in Charms and the matchstick-to-needle charms in Transfiguration – were pretty easy after Harry's work with the Malfoys, the young Slytherin still enjoyed them.

However, on the day before the Slytherins' first lesson with Severus, Harry was introduced to a real mystery as, just as they were packing up after Defence, Professor Quirinus Quirrell called out to him, "M-M-M-Mr P-P-P-Potter; a-a-a-a word?"

"Oh great," muttered Harry, watching as Draco and Neville left the classroom, though they also heard sniggers from Weasley as he left with the Lions. (1)

"See you back at the Common Room," Draco mused, leaving his brother alone with the professor.

Turning to the man, Harry asked, "Have I done something wrong, Professor?"

"Not at all, young Harry," replied the man and, to Harry's surprise, he noticed a lack of stammers in the Defence Professor's tone; furthermore, there was a cold, almost hissing edge to his voice that made the hairs on Harry's neck stand on end.

"P-Professor?" asked Harry, watching as Quirrell drew his wand before he closed the door and, with another flick of the wand, he sealed the room, making it hard for anyone _outside_ the room to hear anyone inside.

"Don't be afraid, Harry," Quirrell told him, his voice making Harry shiver slightly as there was an air of familiarity to it that had alarm bells ringing in Harry's mind. However, before Harry had a chance to make any sort of retort, Quirrell continued, "I've waited a very long time to see you again, little snakeling!"

"A-A-Again?" asked Harry, now looking to the professor while his hand wrapped itself around the Elder Wand as he asked, "What do you mean?"

"Oh," Quirrell replied, drawing out his answer with a sigh as he added, "Of course: no-one but her knew and so they never told you. Ah well: tell me, Harry: how do you like the power of the Blessing and your Mother's legacy inside you?"

Harry's eyes widened with horror; at the same time, sparks of lightning started to dance over his fingertips as he asked, "How…how do you know about that?"

"You'd be surprised what I know about you, little one," answered Quirrell, his voice tinged with amusement as he added, "But, alas, we don't have the time for full explanations, so I'll just say this. What they say about your legacy is a lie: your Mother knew more than you might think and, in turn, not all _scars_ are negative ones. If we can find the opportunity, I promise I'll explain everything, but, for now, I have something for you."

Here, he walked behind his desk and, with a whisper of a language that sounded like snakes hissing to Harry, Quirrell removed an emerald-green book from his desk.

Handing the book to Harry, the man smiled fondly as he told Harry, "Here: it's yours now…she'd want you to have it."

With trembling fingers, Harry took the book before he asked shakily, "Who…who…who are you?"

"A friend," Quirrell replied, his voice edged by a sense of pride as, to Harry's shock, he then bowed his head as he added, "And your humble servant, little lord: now, off you go. I suspect your brothers are getting a little unnerved by your absence."

Harry wanted to ask how Quirrell knew about Draco and Neville, but the man shooed him out the door with a stammered farewell.

It was only when Harry was safely back in the dungeons that he finally looked at the book in his hands: it was decorated with strange symbols and runic designs that seemed to exude magic. The pages felt new, but with a hint of age that told Harry he was holding something either precious or unique in his hands.

As Harry spoke the password and stepped into the dorms, he caught a look from Draco that had Harry shaking his head, the non-verbal message telling Draco that he was better off not asking.

Reaching their dormitory, Harry sat down on his bed and, curling his knees to his chest, he opened the book: as soon as he did so, however, a feeling of magic seemed to pass through his fingers and, as Harry looked to the first page, his eyes widened as he saw two words appear on the page in a style of writing that was _not_ his own.

_Hello sweetie…_

**Chapter 9 and…yikes: what sort of book greets someone like **_**that?**_

**Also, what does Quirrell know about Harry and what does he mean by explaining and Harry's **_**scars**_** not being negative?**

**Keep Reading to Find Out**

**Next Chapter: Flying practice and trouble for the trio as Weasley makes his move; plus, Harry starts feeling anxious and upset with a certain date approaching, but when a shocking encounter distracts him, it gives him more than the strength to last the day…**

**Please Read and Review**

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: The book**_

**So, how did you like that then?**

**I recall, though I can't think of the name exactly, a story where Harry held a book similar to the diary and had a guardian held within its pages; if anyone knows the story, can you let me know?**

_**AN2: Quirrell:**_

**And the mysteries continue, right? Now obviously we know that Quirrell's more than he seems, but what a mystery surrounding him, eh?**

_**AN (1)**_

**This point was made as, in the movies, it seems like the four houses actually take their lessons together unless it's just my mind playing tricks on me; anyway, that's how lessons are in the story…**


	10. A Family Affair

Dark Shadows

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or any of its associated characters; all rights belong to JK Rowling; I do own any OC spells explained at the end of a chapter.

**Plot: **Seeing is Believing Challenge Response: Dark secrets, a new chance at a life he should have lived and shocking revelations concerning his family set Harry Potter on a path into the dark areas of magic, but, to him, there is no good and evil, there is only magic and those worthy to wield it.

**Added Note: **Now, since I _know_ that some people will either complain about repetitions of my old work, I'll just say it again: if you don't like it, then don't read it.

To quote advice from one of my good friends:

_**There is a HUGE difference between constructive criticism and someone who is being rude. I DO NOT like it when people do nothing but complain about my stories. If my story is not your cup of tea then do us both a favor and do not read it. To be ugly about each chapter and never say anything nice is not only annoying, but it is extremely rude. **_

_**I go out of my way to please my readers. I cannot please everyone. In the end, there is really only one person who needs to be pleased. That person would be me.**_

Okay?

So, if for any reason this story doesn't fit your liking, then either go and read something else, or even better, write your own stories; that's what FFN is for, after all. I'm not JK Rowling, so I don't put the characters the same as those brilliant books and films, but still, I am the same as any writer with my work being targeted by negative comments, abusive remarks and, worse of all, plain-minded opinions telling me it's stupid, disbelieving, wrong or just plain ignorant.

Hello?

It's called FAN-FICTION-dot-net for a reason…

Sorry for my little rant there, my loyal readers; I just needed to get that off my chest before we get into the story: so, let's go…

**Dedication: **I'd like to dedicate this story to everyone that's been on that very rocky road with me throughout the year and helped keep my spirits up with all my stories; my recommended reads are _A Familiar's Intuition_ by Dragonsrule18, _Silver Tongue_ by Shadow Hidden By The Moon and _Rewind of Time_ by StormyFireDragon: three amazing stories, the first of which inspired the challenge and this story, so an added thanks to _Dragonsrule18_ for that.

**Key Pairing: **Eventual Harry/Tracey; Eventual Draco/Hermione; Neville/Daphne;

**Other Pairings: **Lucius/Narcissa; Eventual Blaise/Luna; Mentions of Lily/James

Normal Speech

'Thought'

/_Parseltongue_/

**Review Answers:**

**Guest: All I'll say is that you should keep reading to find out;**

**Flight of the phoenix 86: Yes, that still is the case;**

**WhiteElfElder: It's a case of the first part;**

**DragonTamer01: Regrettably, while I would love to thank and commend you for the idea, you did get the idea before I had put it down officially;**

**Winged Seer Wolf: All in good time, my friend;**

**StormyFireDragon: Well I hope you enjoy everything that is coming up, Storm;**

**ALSO: A special thanks to everyone who commented on the Dr Who reference with those last words: that **_**WASN'T**_** intentional, but I like how so many caught the reference; I used it as a fact of how Lily usually called Harry sweetheart;**

_Reaching their dormitory, Harry sat down on his bed and, curling his knees to his chest, he opened the book: as soon as he did so, however, a feeling of magic seemed to pass through his fingers and, as Harry looked to the first page, his eyes widened as he saw two words appear on the page in a style of writing that was not his own._

_Hello sweetie…_

Chapter 10: A Family Affair

A grey, overcast skyline greeted the students of Gryffindor and Slytherin as they shared their first Flying lesson together;

While Harry, standing with Draco and Hermione on either side of him, looked only to the dishevelled, nearly-broken twig that lay at his feet, he also thought about the things that the last month had done to him. Ever since discovering the book and finding out its secrets, Harry had learned more about his family than he thought possible.

As the distant form of Madam Hooch joined the students, greeting them with the same welcoming feel as most of the other teachers, Harry let his mind cast itself back to when he'd read the book for the first time…

_Flashback Start_

_**Hello sweetie;**_

_**If the magic of this book has acknowledged your magical aura and strength, then it means that you have received the power meant for you and, to my sheer regret, it also means I'm no longer there with you. But it's okay, sweetheart, because I know that there are people who will look after you.**_

_**Now, though the magic of this book has recognised you, it also holds a secret of its own: for what you hold in your hands is the Grimoire of Gellert Grindelwald, your grandfather and my Father. Unlike normal books, the Grimoire is enchanted to provide you with answers about our gifts, legacy and heritage: to fuse my knowledge with this book required blood and a sample of my own magic, but I know that I did it for the right reasons.**_

_**I only hope that you are safe, strong and loved and, as you hold this book in your hands, I know that you have power at your fingertips: do with it as you please and, when the secrets are revealed to you, only make the choices that matter to you.**_

_**When you want to know more about your powers or our family's knowledge, simply hold this book in your hands and think on what you want to know. Then, my love, all will be revealed to you.**_

_**I will always love you, my little dark prince;**_

_**Your Father and I are always with you and we shall never be lost to you no matter what the Light wants.**_

_**In closing, I leave you with a warning: do not allow Albus Dumbledore to catch you alone or unprepared: he seeks the power you have and he will do anything to see the Grand Design broken in favour of the Greater Good.**_

_**If he gets you, then our world will fall: remember always that, no matter your personal affiliation, it is the darkness that is your ally.**_

_**Until we meet again, my sweet little boy, I hope your life is always yours;**_

_**Mum**_

_**PS: Before you go on to learn more about the line you come from, there is something you need to know.**_

_**You Are Not Alone with our blood.**_

_**Find…**_

"_What's that?"_

_Harry, snapping the book shut quickly, looked up to see Draco standing in the doorway of their dorm, his eyes narrowed as he looked to his brother, who now had tears in his eyes at hearing how much he was still loved, even from beyond the grave._

"_It…it was my Mum's," Harry explained calmly, his voice edged by a sense of purpose as he told Draco, "No…no-one but me can open it…so I'd rather you…you didn't ask, is that okay?"_

_Draco didn't like the fact that Harry was somehow holding this thing in his hands, but they were brothers and, if there was one thing that the blonde Malfoy Heir had learned over the past few weeks, it was that his brother trusted him to the end._

_So, because of that trust, Draco just nodded before he added, "Come on, the guys are getting ready for Sev's lesson tomorrow."_

_Tucking the book under his bed, Harry walked out of the dorm with his brother at his side._

_The last words of his Mother's introductory letter forgotten in his shock…_

_Flashback End_

For the rest of the month, through his lessons with his teachers, social time with friends and his time alone in the Slytherin Dormitory, Harry had started to explore the pages of the Grindelwald Grimoire, though he _did_ send an owl to Lucius telling him about the book.

He didn't mention that Professor Quirrell had given him the book or that it had held a letter from his Mother: instead, he told Lucius that Severus had given it to him and, when Lucius confirmed it with the Slytherin Head, Severus asked Harry to meet him in his office.

_Flashback Start_

"_Harry, thanks for coming so quickly: tea?"_

"_Yes please, Severus," replied Harry, sitting down at the man's desk before he added, "I want to thank you for keeping my secret, sir: I know it must have hurt having to lie to Dad like that."_

"_Not at all, Harry," Severus replied, giving Harry his cup of tea before he continued, "When I was in Slytherin, I designed my own journal based around my knowledge and research, though it surprises me that Lily held her family's Grimoire. Now, out of respect for her and given that I _do_ know her family history, I'm not going to ask you to divulge any secrets to me that you don't want to share. However, as your friend and Head of House, I do suggest that you find a better, more secure way of keeping the book safe."_

_Harry, nodding with both understanding and agreement to his Head of House's suggestion, then listened as he continued, "I'm sure it doesn't need to be said what could happen if the Headmaster or even the wrong members of the Ministry were to get their hands on the tome. From what I understand in confirming what you told me with Narcissa, Lily didn't trust too many people with her secret identity: in fact, I could probably count everyone she did trust on one hand…and that's not just counting me in there either."_

"_Or Draco or my court," added Harry, earning a smirk from Severus before he explained, "They swore wizard's oaths to say nothing about my heritage, but I think that I've got myself a real set of friends now. I mean, first there was how Draco and I were known to be blood-brothers, but then Neville comes into the picture and…I don't quite get how someone like him could willingly bond with Draco given his family's dark past, but I don't see the world in black and white anymore."_

"_If you don't mind me asking," Severus remarked, taking a drink of his own tea as he asked, "How _do_ you see things?"_

"_Well," answered Harry, "Since I _am_ both a Potter and Grindelwald Heir, I…I think it's best said that…well, you'll probably laugh."_

"_Not very often, I don't," Severus replied, earning a smile from the young Slytherin as he asked, "What do you say, Harry?"_

_Meeting the eyes of his Potions Master and friend, Harry cleared his throat before he spoke with a calm, but power-edged tone as he answered the man's earlier question, "There is no good and evil, there is only magic and those worthy enough to wield it."_

_Severus didn't laugh: in fact, he looked just as unnerved as he had done on the day that Harry revealed he was Grindelwald's grandson…_

_Flashback End_

'What could have been wrong with him?' wondered Harry, his eyes watching now as Madam Hooch wandered between the students, giving them courteous greetings before she told them all to stand by a broom.

As Harry moved and followed the wishes of his teacher by commanding his broom into his hand, he then noticed Hermione looking a little uneasy while Draco and most of the other students had managed to equal Harry's efforts and summon their brooms to their hands.

Easing over to his female friend, Harry leaned in before he whispered, "Don't be afraid, Hermione: if anything happens, you have an entire House ready to help you out. Let your fears go off into the air and prove to them that you _can_ do this."

With a look to his bright-green eyes, Hermione gulped as she asked, "B-But what if…what if I fall?"

"Then I'll catch you," Harry replied, feeling Draco's presence close by as he added, "We all will: you're one of us, Hermione and they know it."

Strength and determination seemed to fill Hermione as she listened to Harry's words: with a sharp bark of _up_, she watched as the broom jumped into her hand, much to the delight and applause of the Slytherins.

Across the field, however, Ron Weasley's broom suddenly decided to try and end any chance of the idiot becoming a Dad as he finally managed to get his broom in the air, much to the amusement of the snakes and his _few_ friends in Gryffindor.

"I felt _that,_" muttered Draco, earning a snigger from Harry as Madam Hooch took them through their routines; when it was finally time to get the brooms in the air, however, the thick-headed Gryffindor made a move out of some sick and twisted desire for revenge.

While Harry and Draco were helping their fellow housemates stay in the air and keep their brooms under control, Weasley launched his broom right at Hermione, much to the girl's shock as Harry had left her at her own request.

"It's freaks like _you_ that took him from his true friends," snarled the idiot, launching a kick to Hermione's broom that suddenly had it bucking around like a wild bronco. As Hermione struggled to hold on, Ron was cut off by a flash of red before he and his broom were sent plummeting to the ground.

Regrettably, the idiot only suffered a broken wrist and a few bruised ribs.

As for Hermione, her broom jerked wildly, sending her flying off it and hanging on by one hand onto the shaft; her scream seemed to spur the Slytherins into action as Harry, who had been the one to send the Stunning Hex at Weasley's broom – _the spell learned from the Grimoire_ – flew beneath Hermione's broom and, drawing his wand, he pointed it at her.

"Hermione," he called, his eyes filled with determination as he told her, "Don't let go, whatever you do: _Acrus Totalum!"_

At his command, a spell-fire of blue gunk flew from the tip of the Elder Wand and, wrapping itself around Hermione's hand, the sticky stuff seemed to fix her in place.

As for Harry, he turned before he called, "Draco, give her a boost."

Flying to the other side of their distressed friend, Draco reached out with his free hand and, grabbing Hermione, he vaulted her back onto the broom, but not before released her hand from the gunk and wrapped them around Draco, much to his surprise.

Harry, meanwhile, flew to the ground before he dismounted and, with his wand in hand, he pointed it at Weasley as he asked, "You think you're clever, Weasley? Trying to endanger a Slytherin just because they're friends with _me!_"

"You shouldn't be with them," snarled Ron, cradling his broken wrist while Madam Hooch was busy dealing with Hermione and Draco in the air, "You should be a Gryffindor; we're meant to be best mates and you're meant to be the Boy-Who…mmph!"

His words were cut off as Harry, repeating his spell from before, sealed Ron's lips with the spider-web-like gunk, his eyes blazing furiously as he told the idiot, "There is no Boy-Who-Lived, Weasley: he's just a fiction designed by thick people to make others seem special. I am Harry James Potter and _only_ that: as for being mates with you, I'd only ever let _that_ happen if I was weak-willed, desperate for friends and decided to let someone _lie_ to my face about the train being full."

With that, he stepped over Weasley's body and, reaching the Slytherins, Harry asked Draco, "She okay?"

"Just in shock," answered Draco, his arms still holding Hermione while he added, "Weasley's cost Gryffindor thirty points for endangering another student while we've lost ten for your assault on him."

"Just ten?" asked Harry, earning a laugh from Daphne, who now stood with Hermione, Pansy on her other side.

"Well," explained Daphne to Harry's curious glance, "It _was_ thirty, but Madam Hooch then awarded you and Draco ten points each for quick thinking and keeping cool heads."

"She's a Slytherin," Harry told her, watching as Madam Hooch finally reached Ron, who was mumbling obscenities through his sealed mouth, "And I'm the Slytherin King: if I didn't care for her, then I'd be a pretty lousy King, wouldn't I?"

None of the Court or the other Slytherins said anything to disagree…

_**Dark Shadows**_

That evening, while the Slytherins sat at dinner and talked about how their King had proven his honour towards their House and housemate to be unbeatable in the field of danger, their calm demeanour was interrupted when a shadow fell over Harry's seat.

Without looking behind him, as he could hear deep, heavy breathing that would put a bull to shame, Harry asked calmly, "Can I help you with something, Weasley?"

"I'm here to issue a challenge," Ron snarled, earning a look from Draco before Harry sighed and, setting down his fork, he stood and turned to face the Gryffindor, who he then saw was accompanied by a fair-haired girl and a shrewd-looking boy with sandy hair.

"And who are these, Weasley?" asked Harry coolly, "Your backing singers."

The sandy haired boy laughed at the reference while Ron and the fair-haired girl looked confused; as he regained his composure, the boy addressed Harry with an Irish brogue to his voice, "I'm Seamus Finnegan, Potter: and though I disagree with what Weasley did earlier, an insult to one of us is an insult to all of us."

"And what did he promise you in support of this backup, Mr Finnegan?" asked Harry, earning a raised eyebrow from Seamus before he continued, "Well without actual support in his cause, Weasley didn't really have any other first-years to call on, does he?"

"You're just lucky I don't get my brother involved in this!" hissed Ron, his voice again speaking without his brain as he added, "He's a school Prefect and we're also the younger siblings of the former King of Gryffindor, Charlie Weasley."

"I see," Harry muttered, not at all bothered with the Weasley Family History as he asked, "And, who's the King now, Weasley?"

"Deke Morrison," answered Seamus, pointing to a wiry-looking sixth year Gryffindor with his hair in two different tones of brown, his eyes, which made Harry think of amethyst for some reason, watching the exchange of words carefully as Seamus added, "Weasley had to ask him for the permission to address the challenge since word's spread on how you're the Slytherin King."

"I see," muttered Harry, smirking as he added, "Then, as King of Slytherin, I not only refuse your challenge, Weasley, but I decline your right to address me in such a manner. Just because we're not bed-buddies does not mean you can disgrace the Most Noble and Most Ancient House or Creed of Gryffindor any further. So, if you don't mind, I'd like to get back to my dinner."

"You're a coward, Potter!" sneered the fair-haired girl, whom Harry soon learned was named Lavender Brown: another Gryffindor loudmouth if ever there was one, "Just because you know you can't beat Ronald in a fair fight: you need your slimy snakes to get involved."

"I bet you wouldn't even accept a Wizard's Duel because you're scared," Ron sneered, his eyes then widening as he saw Harry's eyes narrow dangerously, "What? You _would?_"

"No," Harry answered calmly, "I'm just surprised that you actually come up with that yourself, Weasley: and, out of curiosity, where would this _make-believe_ duel be? The Trophy Room? The abandoned corridor? Perhaps the Astronomy Tower? And _when_ would it be? Midnight, perhaps? Where you can then tip of Filch and think you're making Slytherins look as bad as _you_ believe they are? Sorry, Weasley, but I've got other plans for midnight: like dreaming of the day that I make myself out to be the great wizard I was born to be. So, as I said before, go back to your own table before our Heads of House feel the need to get involved."

Ron didn't get the message: instead, he and Brown went for their wands, but as they began to speak the words of spells to stab Harry in the back, two more spells cut them off, sending their wands flying from their hands.

Turning again, as he _had_ gone to sit back down in his seat, Harry and the Gryffindor Trio looked over to the offending casters, the expression of the Slytherin King changing as he saw Neville and Tracey with their wands out.

"Thanks for that, you two," muttered Harry, now drawing his own wand before he summoned Ron and Lavender's wands to his hand; handing them back to their masters, Harry continued, "Now, I'll only say it once more: go back to the Gryffindor Table and leave me alone. You've seen I'm protected, so it'd be a mistake to try and repeat your choices."

"You'll get yours, Potter," snarled Ron, turning to face Neville as he added, "And I was right about you, Longbottom: your parents would die if they saw you…"

"Detention, Weasley!" exclaimed Penelope Clearwater, her voice ringing through the Great Hall as she added, "For continued disruption of the feasts, threatening and attempted assault on one whom has the mantle of a King of the House _and_ for slandering a family's name. In fact, your actions have also cost Gryffindor another thirty points!"

"Penny," sighed Percy Weasley, Prefect of Gryffindor as he asked, "Surely you can revoke that loss? It's just friendly banter after all."

"Shut it, Weasley!" snapped Penelope, her eyes fixed on Percy as she hissed, "He may be your brother, but he's not _mine!_ As a Prefect of the school, it is our duty to uphold the peace. Now, Weasley, as King Potter told you: back to your seat _now!_"

As Ron sulked back to his chair, Harry looked to Penelope Clearwater with a curt nod of thanks before he also looked to Percy Weasley, who was now watching the Slytherin King with loathing of his own in his eyes.

Clearly, though he didn't know how he knew it, but clearly the idiot had made a good point;

This _wasn't_ over!

**Chapter 10 and it seems Harry does have allies outside the House, but can he elude the wannabe revenge of the Weasleys for long?**

**Also, what else did Lily's letter have to say and what secrets are yet to be discovered by Grindelwald's grandson?**

**Keep Reading to Find Out**

**Next Chapter: Harry starts feeling anxious and upset with a certain date approaching, but when a shocking encounter distracts him, it gives him more than the strength to last the day; also, in the worst decision they could have made, Ron, Lavender and Percy go for their revenge, forcing Harry's hand **_**again**_** as he targets a second throne: Gryffindor's!**

**Please Read and Review**

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: The book**_

**Okay, so maybe I **_**was**_** a bit misleading with the end of the chapter there, but I designed the book to be a codex of sorts with the intention of being able to show anything that Harry wanted to know within its pages; it was inspired by the magical tome, the Xenotome, from PR Mystic Force: all rights to the original creators;**

**The book isn't a Horcrux and Lily isn't coming back in the story, but I appreciate everyone who made the suggestion: also, if anyone can remember the name of that story, please let me know…**

_**AN2: Kings and Queens of Hogwarts**_

**So we see that others are starting to show themselves and, for those wondering, yes, my eventual goal is for Harry to hold all four thrones under his control: because then, essentially, he'll rule the school.**

**Bet we know someone who won't like that, eh readers?**

**OC SPELL:**

_**Acrus Totalum: **_**The Spider Sealant Hex: Releases a burst of Acromantula Silk that can seal/fuse any two surfaces together; _stronger magical focus can increase the strength of the silk._****  
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	11. A Night Unbound

Dark Shadows

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or any of its associated characters; all rights belong to JK Rowling; I do own any OC spells explained at the end of a chapter.

**Plot: **Seeing is Believing Challenge Response: Dark secrets, a new chance at a life he should have lived and shocking revelations concerning his family set Harry Potter on a path into the dark areas of magic, but, to him, there is no good and evil, there is only magic and those worthy to wield it.

**Added Note: **Now, since I _know_ that some people will either complain about repetitions of my old work, I'll just say it again: if you don't like it, then don't read it.

To quote advice from one of my good friends:

_**There is a HUGE difference between constructive criticism and someone who is being rude. I DO NOT like it when people do nothing but complain about my stories. If my story is not your cup of tea then do us both a favor and do not read it. To be ugly about each chapter and never say anything nice is not only annoying, but it is extremely rude. **_

_**I go out of my way to please my readers. I cannot please everyone. In the end, there is really only one person who needs to be pleased. That person would be me.**_

Okay?

So, if for any reason this story doesn't fit your liking, then either go and read something else, or even better, write your own stories; that's what FFN is for, after all. I'm not JK Rowling, so I don't put the characters the same as those brilliant books and films, but still, I am the same as any writer with my work being targeted by negative comments, abusive remarks and, worse of all, plain-minded opinions telling me it's stupid, disbelieving, wrong or just plain ignorant.

Hello?

It's called FAN-FICTION-dot-net for a reason…

Sorry for my little rant there, my loyal readers; I just needed to get that off my chest before we get into the story: so, let's go…

**Dedication: **I'd like to dedicate this story to everyone that's been on that very rocky road with me throughout the year and helped keep my spirits up with all my stories; my recommended reads are _A Familiar's Intuition_ by Dragonsrule18, _Silver Tongue_ by Shadow Hidden By The Moon and _Rewind of Time_ by StormyFireDragon: three amazing stories, the first of which inspired the challenge and this story, so an added thanks to _Dragonsrule18_ for that.

**Key Pairing: **Eventual Harry/Tracey; Eventual Draco/Hermione; Neville/Daphne;

**Other Pairings: **Lucius/Narcissa; Eventual Blaise/Luna; Mentions of Lily/James

Normal Speech

'Thought'

/_Parseltongue_/

**Review Answers:**

**ShadowlordZane: You'll find out soon, my friend;**

**T4: Well you should go and read Silver Tongue, my friend; it's what helped inspire the idea in the first place and it's a brilliant read;**

**EndlessChains: Like I said, I'm altering the whole 'King' thing and instead of a borderline-dictator, we have a King who cares for his House and their honour as well as extending branches of friendship to others;**

**Whitebuffalowmn: Well, it **_**is**_** Ron: logic isn't even a word in his one-page dictionary;**

**WhiteElfElder: Who knows: I might bring in another ex-King to really deliver the message that they shouldn't cross swords with a King of a House;**

**Winged Seer Wolf: I know, D: but isn't that what Harry's Halloween times are infamous for?**

**DragonTamer01: Don't worry, I plan on doing many different things to my norm for this story and that's one of them;**

**Dragonsrule18: There's a point in the chapter that says they released her hand from the gunk as they helped her up;**

**CrazyLemon: I'd rather let it go through the years, personally, but I appreciate your opinion;**

**StormyFireDragon: I love it when you fuel my dark natures, Storm: get ready for a BIG surprise;**

**Daithi4377: Well there has to be a House to counter the good that the Slytherins have become in this story and that just happens to be the Lions in this story: talk about flipping the table, huh?**

**ALSO: To the reviewers and those who send me PMs telling me to stop with the long ANs: I'm going to say it now.**

**NO!**

**I do this to remind people as the story progresses of points and things that need to be mentioned; I know some people prefer to just the disclaimer in and that's it, but that's not how I write my work or set it out, so stop complaining because I just won't listen.**

_As Ron sulked back to his chair, Harry looked to Penelope Clearwater with a curt nod of thanks before he also looked to Percy Weasley, who was now watching the Slytherin King with loathing of his own in his eyes._

_Clearly, though he didn't know how he knew it, but clearly the idiot had made a good point;_

_This wasn't over!_

Chapter 11: A Night Unbound

October 31st was coming;

For Harry, it was a time where he'd rather not think about the supposedly memorable feast in the Great Hall or the decorative live bats and floating pumpkins that lined the ceiling and walls. If it were up to him, which as Severus reminded him, it _was_, but if it really were up to him, it would be him, his Court – including the Ravenclaw members – and his adoptive guardians in a private ceremony in the Slytherin Dormitory where they'd pay tribute to the memories of Lily and James Potter.

But, of course, it was then that Harry heard from Marcus Flint that attending the Halloween Feast had _suddenly_ become mandatory and that anyone who didn't attend would cost their House points.

So, one week before the ill-fated date, Harry took a walk to steady his nerves, his hands clenched into fists in his pockets while his green eyes burned with rage and disbelief. He knew that this _sudden_ edict had come from Albus-bloody-Dumbledore as a means to keep Lucius and Narcissa away on the one day that family meant the world to Harry.

However, Harry also knew that Neville and Draco would be at his side, their bond stronger than ever through the emotional rollercoaster and stress-induced storm that Harry felt because of this new rule and idea. Even the Great Hall couldn't keep students from socialising with other Houses, especially when Harry's status as Slytherin King had earned him a semblance of respect from the Eagles thanks to Neville and Tracey's actions late last month.

As Harry turned a corner without really meaning to, his mind focused still on the range of raging emotions that burned inside his heart, he was surprised to find a dark corridor looming ahead of him. Stopping for a long moment, Harry's eyes narrowed as he realised that, without meaning to, he had found himself in the very corridor that the senile old fool had said was forbidden.

Taking a step back, Harry was about to leave when a feeling suddenly overpowered him: a sensation of being called out by some ethereal force and, as he turned back to the corridor, he was then surprised to notice the shadows of the corridor wavering slightly, almost as though they suspected his power was in their midst.

Closing the door behind him so that no-one could follow him through, Harry sighed before he muttered, "All right, dear lady: show me what it is you want me to see."

With that, a lock clicked open ahead of him and, as Harry walked forwards, a frown adorned his face as he felt the call growing stronger, a word whispering in his thoughts over and over again.

'_Come…come to me…let me see you…let me feel you…let me taste you!_'

Any other person would have turned back, but given that Harry was in a dark corridor with the darkness itself around him, a feeling of comfort only powered his steps onwards where, as he passed the lock that had clicked open, Harry stopped dead with what he saw.

Three things towered above him, six leering red eyes looking down at him from within three heads of blackened fur; the body of the creature was large and bulky while its feet were paws that had four sets of serrated claws extended in a sense of disbelieving alertness.

"A…A Cerberus?" asked Harry, his eyes wide with disbelief as he looked at the three-headed dog and the dog looked back at him, "No wonder he mentioned a painful death: any idiot would be a dog's dinner if they came in here."

For a long time, much to Harry's surprise, the menacing-looking dog did nothing but stare at him, its three tongues lolled with an almost-playful look as it examined the small human in its den. Then, as Harry met the eyes of the dog, he let out a gasp as he heard the voice again;

'_Come…come to me…let me see you…let me feel you…let me taste you…let me be with you!_'

Looking again to the eyes of the Cerberus, Harry's own emerald-green eyes widened as a theory, a crazy, impossible theory, rose up in his mind.

"I must be crazy," he whispered, approaching the paws of the great beast before, lifting his hand up, Harry watched with wide eyes as the Cerberus lowered its middle head and whined playfully.

Touching the wet nose of the dog – or at least one of them, anyway – Harry felt an intense, but rather-comforting chill run up his arm: as the chill increased, Harry's emerald-green eyes seemed to turn an eerie shade of violet that was more like the late-evening/early-night sky, his hand now glowing with a soft, eerie blue light that seemed to pass into the nose of the Cerberus.

"No bloody way!" gasped Harry, watching as the other two heads lowered themselves down to be touched by this human, the glow only intensifying as Harry stroked the heads of his new friend.

'No,' thought Harry, 'My…my _familiar!_ I've become Night Bound to a flipping _Cerberus!_'

The dog seemed to sense his new master's thoughts and, with a still-playful look to his red eyes, the great beast licked at Harry and nuzzled him with his snout.

"Good boy," muttered Harry, feeling the voice return to his mind once again, this time sounding more like a chorus of voices in his head;

'_Good master…_'

_**Dark Shadows**_

"You…_must_ be joking!"

"I wish I was," sniggered Harry, looking to the stunned expressions on Draco, Daphne, Pansy and Hermione's faces, each of them showing the same stunned disbelief as Harry confided in his Court about the latest revelation to his powers.

Neville and Tracey, who had become honorary snakes over the past month for their defence of the King, also showed stunned expressions on their faces before Neville asked, "But…but what's a Cerberus doing in our school? I get it's a forbidden corridor, but a Cerberus could eat every student in our House and still have room for dessert!"

"I don't think he'll be eating anyone, Neville," Harry laughed, earning sniggers from the others as he added, "But regardless, now that I've found my true familiar, I think this means my powers will escalate."

"You mean more than they already have?" asked Draco, remembering how Harry had used Ice and Lightning to take on Annabelle Nott for the right to be known as King in the first place.

"I don't know how exactly," Harry continued, apparently choosing to ignore Draco's outburst as he explained, "But somehow, some way, my powers will grow and, as they do, my bond with my familiar with become more iron-clad. Though I did manage to hear his thoughts and he told something to me."

"What?" asked Hermione, her awe showing through in the near-whisper of her voice.

"The one who put him here in the first place," Harry explained, "It was Hagrid: he did it to protect some sort of treasure from the Bad Ones and, when he did, he also gave the dog a name: Fluffy!"

"Fluffy?" asked Pansy, earning a few laughs from the others while Harry nodded, "Who'd name a Cerberus Fluffy?"

"I just said that: Hagrid," answered Harry, the laughs continuing as he explained, "But the dog told me his real name: it's Helios, which I thought is quite ironic for a supposed dog of the dead."

Hermione and Draco nodded in unspoken agreement while Harry continued, "Anyway, Helios said to me that he was there to protect, but now that we had found one another, he was mine to command and, over time, just like my own, his Night Bond powers would also show. I don't know what they are: according to the book, each one is different depending on the animal, but I do know this much. He wants me to be as safe as everyone else seems to want of me."

"Dogs are protectors and guardians of man," Hermione reasoned, earning a few smiles from her friends as she asked, "And what's more protective a dog than a Cerberus?"

The Court laughed as they considered the truth of her question…

**A sort of filler Chapter 11 that reveals Harry's familiar and sets the stage for the future, but what sort of gifts await the Nethermancer as he forges his bond with Fluffy/Helios?**

**Also, can the Court help keep Harry calm as the darkest day of his life draws close?**

**Keep Reading to Find Out**

**Next Chapter: In the worst decision they could have made, Ron, Lavender and Percy go for their revenge, forcing Harry's hand **_**again**_** as he targets a second throne: Gryffindor's; plus, Draco observes something a little off about a certain professor while Neville has a talk with his brothers about why he doesn't feel any hatred towards a certain Death Eater…**

**Please Read and Review**

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Night Bond**_

**SURPRISE! I told you that you probably wouldn't see it coming and here it is: now, for those who think I've gone off the rails with this one, don't worry: ever since the start of the story, I had the idea for Helios to be Harry's familiar for one reason;**

**It's different, but it's perfect for a master of the shadows like Harry;**

_**AN2: Poll**_

**Now, with the year about to leave us behind, I've decided to take some of my Crossover options from the Den of Delights and turn **_**one**_** of them into a story; which one, well I leave that up to you.**

**The winning story will be posted in the first week of January 2015, so be sure to cast your votes and decide…**


	12. The Chimera's Throne

Dark Shadows

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or any of its associated characters; all rights belong to JK Rowling; I do own any OC spells explained at the end of a chapter.

**Plot: **Seeing is Believing Challenge Response: Dark secrets, a new chance at a life he should have lived and shocking revelations concerning his family set Harry Potter on a path into the dark areas of magic, but, to him, there is no good and evil, there is only magic and those worthy to wield it.

**Added Note: **Now, since I _know_ that some people will either complain about repetitions of my old work, I'll just say it again: if you don't like it, then don't read it.

To quote advice from one of my good friends:

_**There is a HUGE difference between constructive criticism and someone who is being rude. I DO NOT like it when people do nothing but complain about my stories. If my story is not your cup of tea then do us both a favor and do not read it. To be ugly about each chapter and never say anything nice is not only annoying, but it is extremely rude. **_

_**I go out of my way to please my readers. I cannot please everyone. In the end, there is really only one person who needs to be pleased. That person would be me.**_

Okay?

So, if for any reason this story doesn't fit your liking, then either go and read something else, or even better, write your own stories; that's what FFN is for, after all. I'm not JK Rowling, so I don't put the characters the same as those brilliant books and films, but still, I am the same as any writer with my work being targeted by negative comments, abusive remarks and, worse of all, plain-minded opinions telling me it's stupid, disbelieving, wrong or just plain ignorant.

Hello?

It's called FAN-FICTION-dot-net for a reason…

Sorry for my little rant there, my loyal readers; I just needed to get that off my chest before we get into the story: so, let's go…

**Dedication: **I'd like to dedicate this story to everyone that's been on that very rocky road with me throughout the year and helped keep my spirits up with all my stories; my recommended reads are _A Familiar's Intuition_ by Dragonsrule18, _Silver Tongue_ by Shadow Hidden By The Moon and _Rewind of Time_ by StormyFireDragon: three amazing stories, the first of which inspired the challenge and this story, so an added thanks to _Dragonsrule18_ for that.

**Key Pairing: **Eventual Harry/Tracey; Eventual Draco/Hermione; Neville/Daphne;

**Other Pairings: **Lucius/Narcissa; Eventual Blaise/Luna; Mentions of Lily/James

Normal Speech

'Thought'

/_Parseltongue_/

**Review Answers:**

**EndlessChains: Let's just say I have a few nice surprises;**

**DragonTamer01: Yeah, sometimes my chapters are, though;**

**WhiteElfElder: That's a fairly good idea for later;**

**Daithi4377: Well without his key support and backup for Harry, it's no surprise that the old fool will try anything;**

**Winged Seer Wolf: Again, sounds like an interesting idea for later;**

**StormyFireDragon: Get ready for some fun, Storm;**

"_Dogs are protectors and guardians of man," Hermione reasoned, earning a few smiles from her friends as she asked, "And what's more protective a dog than a Cerberus?"_

_The Court laughed as they considered the truth of her question…_

Chapter 12: The Chimera's Throne

Even with the dread that rose inside him at the thought of _celebrating_ Halloween with the rest of the Slytherins and the school, Harry couldn't get his mind around how much fun he was having on the day itself.

When Professor Flitwick announced that they were to start practicing levitation, Harry – who had mastered the ability thanks to Lucius' teachings – thought it was going to be a boring lesson, but then, after getting it right first-time, he was pleased when Professor Flitwick let him help others before spending the last forty-five minutes reading ahead.

Across the classroom from where Harry – as always, with his brother, Draco next to him – was seated, reading calmly through a book on Advanced Charms acquired for him by Lucius, Hermione was having less luck in playing the helpful student. When she was challenged by the idiot otherwise known as Ronald Weasley to show him the spell, the imbecile then spilled ink all over her robes in a fit of rage and envy.

After the lesson, during which time Draco had moved at an unspoken message from Harry and helped clean Hermione up, the Slytherin King cut the idiot and his quote-unquote girlfriend, Lavender Brown, off at the door, his magic on full display as he faced the idiot.

"So you think you're clever trying to humiliate a classmate like that?" asked Harry, his eyes shining with fury as he added, "Any other House and any other date, I wouldn't really have minded, but when you target _my_ friends on today of all days, it's not an insult I easily ignore."

"It wouldn't have happened if you were friends with me like you're meant to be," Ron scowled, earning a scoff from Harry as he looked to Draco and a now-clean Hermione, "Besides, Harry: how can you stand her? She's a nightmare, honestly: no wonder she hasn't gotten any friends. I bet her own parents abandon her because they don't understand our world."

Hermione moved and, once again, Harry gave an unspoken command to Pansy and Draco to follow, both of them leaving Harry alone with the idiot outside the Charms classroom.

"Watch yourself, Weasley," Harry hissed, his magic now being pulled in as he told the git, "One more bad mark against my snakes because of you and I _will_ take action."

"Oh yeah?" asked Ron, "Like what? You're too chicken to accept a wizard's duel, so what will you do, _Potter?_"

"Issue a challenge of my own," sneered Harry, looking to the stunned Gryffindor students that had stayed behind as he told them, "Tell your King this message _exactly:_ Saturday, midday, the Clock Tower Courtyard. If he wins, I'll surrender Slytherin's throne; if I win, he surrenders Gryffindor's."

Dean Thomas, a half-blood boy that Harry had noticed as one of the very few good members of Gryffindor, nodded before he took off in the direction of the Gryffindor Common Room.

As for Harry, he looked back to Ron with a cold smile as he told him, "Get ready, Weasley: because when I win, I'll need a new footstool for my throne."

Ron went red as Harry turned and walked away, flanked as always by his Slytherin first-year companions…

_**Dark Shadows**_

"Obligatory, my ass: this is _stupid!_"

This was the exclamation that tore from Harry's lips as he walked into the Great Hall, flanked by his now-complete Court as everyone moved towards the Slytherin Table. On one side of the Slytherin King, Draco and Hermione walked closely to the ranked number one snake while Daphne and Pansy walked on his right, all five of them moving to their self-assigned spots on the House Table.

Overhead, floating pumpkins and live bats decorated the ceiling while an array of treats and other such foodstuffs, but as Harry took his seat, he waited for the doors of the Great Hall to close again before, hearing the tap of Professor McGonagall's spoon on her goblet, the Slytherin King rose again.

"Mr Potter!" exclaimed McGonagall, making several heads turn in his direction, "Where do you think you're going?"

"Private ceremony, Madam," replied Harry calmly, indicating a smirking Severus as he added, "Professor Snape authorised it."

"Now Harry," Dumbledore remarked, "I'm sure you were told attendance is mandatory?"

"Yes, _Headmaster,_" replied Harry with a drawl that made Draco snigger, "But staying upon the start of the feast _and_ having attended as we have is not something specified. Besides, tonight is a night of honour and memory, not a time for stuffing our faces like big game hogs…well, unless you happen to have the mouth of a black hole."

A few of the students sniggered as several Gryffindors were looking at Ronald Weasley, who had already begun eating; Harry, meanwhile, looked to the Ravenclaw Table as he asked, "Neville, Tracey: care to join us?"

With joint nods, the two Eagles rose from their seats and, just as they went to leave, Professor Quirrell barged through the doors, his eyes wide with terror as he exclaimed, "TROLL: IN THE DUNGEONS! TROLL IN THE DUNGEONS!"

"Bugger," grumbled Harry, "And we were _so_ close."

"Thought you ought to know," Quirrell replied, before he fainted in a manner that, to Harry, Draco and Neville, was almost _too_ perfect a faint.

"Slytherins!" Professor Snape then announced when Dumbledore made a stupid announcement – _again_ – about the houses returning to their dormitories, "Make your way calmly and quietly towards the library: once the dungeons are clear, I shall come and collect you from there."

With Harry leading them, the Slytherins made their way to the second floor: however, just as the Silver Trio – Harry, Draco and Hermione – made their way inside, Harry stopped and turned as he realised that, in their flight from the Great Hall, something was amiss.

Looking around, the Grindelwald Heir went as cold as ice as he asked, "Drake, where's Neville?"

"I'd have thought he would have gone back with the Eagles," suggested Draco, but his words were soon cut off as Tracey ran towards them, her eyes filled with shock while her robes were scuffed.

"W…W…Weasley…" she gasped, earning a glare from Harry as she added, "Weasley and Brown have…have kidnapped Neville: they're…they're leading him down…down to the dungeons."

"Don't bet on it," Harry growled, looking to Draco before, gathering his authority as King, he told his brother, "Take Tracey and Hermione into the library: if Weasley wants a fight, he picked the wrong date and the wrong opponent."

As Hermione left with Tracey, Draco gulped as he told Harry, "Don't kill him."

With his emerald-green eyes burning with fury, Harry hissed out, "I'm not making promises."

_**Dark Shadows**_

The troll seemed to have made its way along the furthest reaches of the dungeons, which, for Harry, made it easy to tap into his Nethermancer senses and search for Neville. Thanks to the book that Lucius had given him, Harry knew that, when he focused his sense of Sight through the darkness, he could actually follow magical auras like a trail.

Given the bond that he shared with Neville, it was easier than it should have been for Harry to seek out his other brother, using the essence that burned in him and his sense of family towards Draco to hone in on the trail.

Moving through the dungeons, Harry followed the trail down past Severus' office and, to his surprise, around a corner to what looked like a disused storeroom: casting a quick Alohomora, Harry opened the door and found Neville there, bound and gagged.

Even as he drew the Elder Wand with the intention to cut his friend free, Harry sniggered as he realised one little thing wrong here: he'd come all the way down to the other end of the corridor and yet there was no sight of the large troll. Add to that how they'd noticed Quirrell's _too_ perfect fainting spell and Harry began to wonder if the troll was even down here to begin with.

And even if it wasn't, Harry knew someone that was: turning to the corridor, a sigh of disdain escaped him as he saw Ron Weasley standing between him and the exit.

"So, Weasley," Harry sighed, "You didn't take my earlier warning to heart, I see."

"I'm calling you out _right now,_ Potter!" sneered Weasley, his voice edged by pride and confidence as he told Harry, "My brother will vouch for me in Gryffindor Tower, so now, you're all mine! And here's how it's going to work: when I beat you, badly, I might add; but when I beat you, you'll send an owl to your Death Eater guardians and get them to send you to Gryffindor."

'I wonder who encouraged _this_ idea?' thought Harry sarcastically, listening as Weasley went on.

"You'll then forfeit all rights and power over Slytherin to _me_ so I can teach those slimy snakes a thing or two about respect!"

"Fine," Harry nodded, lifting his wand in the typical salute as he added, "Let's do this: I've got a memorial to go to."

"_Flipendo!_" Weasley exclaimed, but when his spell met Harry, the young wizard knocked it aside as though it was nothing, "Hey: stop cheating! You're not meant to use wandless magic!"

"Oh I'm sorry, Duel Master Weasley," drawled Harry, laughing as he explained, "But I don't recall you making such claims of rules when we were talking stakes. So, I guess I _can_ use wandless magic, which also means I can do this: _Atmoarcis!_"

At Harry's command, a snowstorm suddenly blew through the corridor like a wind through the halls of a haunted house; as the ice and snow passed him, Harry tapped into his Elemental control before he froze Weasley's legs, lips and body, lifting the Elder Wand once more, Harry then finished the duel with a disarming hex before he remarked coolly, "Check and Mate, Weasley."

Keeping his wand in hand, Harry unfroze Weasley's lips before he told him, "Cross my friends again and you'll have more than frostbite to worry about."

"You fool, Potter!" snarled Weasley, "You'll see I was right about them: when it happens, you'll beg for me to take you back!"

"Until then," a cool, apathetically-toned voice remarked, earning a gulp from Harry while Ron went white as Severus Snape stepped out of the shadows, his lips pursed and his eyes filled with an emotionless rage as he told the boys, "That's twenty points from Slytherin _and_ Gryffindor for unauthorised duelling, a further 20 points from Gryffindor for endangering a student _and_ a week's detention with Professor Flitwick for failing to heed instructions and interfering _again_ in business that is not yours. Now, Mr Weasley, thaw out and get out of my sight!"

With that, Harry melted the ice around Weasley before he watched as the boy ran off, leaving Harry to cut through the ropes that bound Neville, his eyes lowered as he turned before he told his Head of House, "I'm sorry, Severus; I know I should have listened to you, but Neville's my brother. If it were Draco…"

"Then I would be just as proud of you as I am now, Harry," replied Severus, giving the boy a rare smile as he told him, "That's why you get 30 points for exceptional duelling and a further 10 for near-perfect use of wandless magic, plus five points to both Ravenclaw and Slytherin for keeping a…cool head in the face of extreme peril."

Both Harry and Neville inclined their heads in thanks before Harry returned to the library while Neville, after retrieving Tracey, returned to Ravenclaw Tower for the remainder of the evening.

_**Dark Shadows**_

"First the lie about its location, then the perfect faint: I'm telling you guys, Quirrell's not all there."

"I would have to agree, Drake," Harry reasoned as he and his Slytherin court members made their way out towards the courtyard for Harry's pre-arranged duel with Deke Morrison, Gryffindor King.

As this was an official duel between rivalling kingdoms, Harry had laughed when Peregrine Derrick, a fifth-year who'd served under Annabelle Nott, revealed a suit of duelling robes with Slytherin's monogram and a cloak so fine that it seemed to be made from woven snakeskins. Dressed in the formal attire with his wand in hand, Harry was accompanied out by his Court and a few of the Slytherins, the eyes of the Slytherins filled with amusement as they imagined what would happen should Harry win.

One thing was a definite cert: the rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin would die out and Hogwarts would be changed once again thanks to Harry James Potter.

As they walked out onto the courtyard, Harry saw that the traditional duel field wards had been put in place, surrounding almost half the complete space while, next to the wards' edge, Professors Snape, McGonagall and, to Harry's disdain, Dumbledore were standing there with Deke Morrison, who was also dressed in fiery-red and gold Gryffindor duelling robes, the lion on his robe looking like Hercules' attire carved from the Nemean Lion's skin.

Standing on one side of the wards, Harry cleared his throat to announce his arrival before he asked warily, "Headmaster, Heads of House, what brings you out here?"

"This is a formal duel between Houses, Potter," explained McGonagall, watching as Deke turned to face Harry, the two of them staring each other out across the field, "As Head of Gryffindor and Slytherin respectively, it falls to Professor Snape and I to be here to adjudicate the duel and formally recognise the victor. Now, as we understand it, this is simply for the throne of your House: no additional stakes?"

"I have one," answered Deke, pointing his wand at Harry as he added, "If King Harry loses, he must transfer to Gryffindor House."

"Very well," Harry nodded, now pointing his wand at Deke as he explained, "But if King Deke loses, then I demand that Percival and Ronald Weasley apologise to my friends for their constant attacks on my honour and that of my guardians. If either man refuses, Percy loses his badge!"

"Agreed," Dumbledore reasoned, though Harry saw the damned twinkle in his eyes: no doubt, the man suspected that if Harry did go to Gryffindor, he'd ditch the Malfoys and go to a more Light-aligned family like the Weasleys.

With the stakes met, Harry then added, "As this _is_ a duel of honour, I also suggest we limit magic to just our wands: no wandless tricks and no Unforgivable Curses."

"So no elemental magic either?" asked Deke, earning a few gasps from the crowd as Harry agreed to that.

Shedding his Slytherin King's cloak with a dramatic flourish, Harry stepped across the ward line before he asked, "Yield or disarm law?"

"Yield," answered Deke, "This _is_ a duel between kings, after all."

Unlike Ron, Deke then gave Harry the salute, which Harry returned, before they both moved to the edge of the arena and, on Harry's side, Draco gave him a nod of encouragement while it was then that the Slytherin King noticed the arrival of the Puffs and Eagles, both accompanied by their respective king and queen. For Ravenclaw, Harry was a little amused when he noticed that it was the fifth year Prefect, Penelope Clearwater, who gave him her own curt nod of support.

As for the Hufflepuff _King_, he was a handsome-looking boy with dark brown hair and, like the two kings in the arena, both him and Penelope wore their coats of arms on their cloaks.

"Who's that?" asked Harry in a low voice while Dumbledore announced the rules for everyone to hear.

"Cedric Diggory," answered Draco, "Another one of the good ones: seems a shame not to extend our hand to the Badgers, but I guess there's time, right, Sire?"

With a smile, Harry nodded before he turned and, on Dumbledore's count of three, the duel began.

Even with the handicap of being unable to use his wandless and elemental prowess, Harry didn't pull any punches: instead, as soon as Deke's first spell, which was meant to tie his legs up in knots, came out from his wand, Harry retorted with a spell called Protego Nethri, which seemed to swallow up each and every one of Deke's spells like a vortex.

"Headmaster!" exclaimed Percy Weasley as everyone watched Harry stay on the defensive against the elder student's arsenal, "Potter should be disqualified: his spell is _not_ one authorised for use by a first-year."

"Shut your mouth, Weasley," snarled Marcus Flint, "Anyone who knows _real_ duelling knows that there's no restrictions to spells save what's stated beforehand. And since King Harry did _not_ use wandless, elemental _or_ Unforgivable magic, the Black Hole Shield Jinx is allowed."

"We'll see," sniggered Deke, twisting his wand in a strange motion before he commanded, "_Patroperca!_"

A lance-like beam flew from his wand and struck at Harry, piercing the shield, but, despite the shield being broken, Harry didn't panic: instead, he moved his own wand in a complex motion before he announced, "_Atmistecta!_"

A fog, as thick as pea soup and as dense as…well, Weasley's brains, crossed the field, blanketing the view from the field while Harry smirked knowingly: he couldn't be seen by his enemy, but he never said what his strategy was for the battle.

"Elemental Magic!" exclaimed Lavender Brown, but she was soon silenced by Professors McGonagall and Snape as they watched the duel continue.

"_With_ a wand, Miss Brown," McGonagall reasoned, "We'll allow it."

"_Electrosiam!_" Harry then announced and, to the shock – literally – of the Slytherins and Gryffindors, they were forced to watch as the cold moisture of Harry's Fog Bank Charm became alight with electrical discharges. For a long time, there was only the sound of electricity shocking _something_ inside the circle before a red disarming spell was sent out and, when the fog cleared, the students were in shock.

Harry Potter stood over Deke Morrison, the latter looking shell-shocked while his hair was standing on end, static discharges dancing at the tips of his fingers.

His wand was in Harry's hand, but as the group watched, Harry pointed his own wand at Deke before he told him, "I'll spare you the humiliation if you forfeit now: yield and I'll give you back your wand."

Deke looked right into Harry's eyes before he sighed and, lowering his eyes in the sign of submission, he declared for everyone to hear, "I yield to Harry Potter, the _new_ Gryffindor King!"

The duel field lit up with the magic of the submission and, as Harry returned Deke's wand as promised, he extended the hand of friendship to the elder student, the eyes of the whole school on Deke as Harry found his hand accepted, both warriors now standing tall and proud.

Draco, Neville, Daphne and Hermione were the first to applaud the honour of Harry's duelling prowess, before the rest of the school joined in and, as Harry stepped back with a bow – which was returned by Deke out of respect for the new King – the new king of the Golden Den and Emerald Pit turned to Percy and Ron before he asked, "Well? What are you going to do?"

Ron spat at Harry, much to the boos and jeers of the others, while Percy just walked over to Deke and, without any mercy, he kicked him hard between the shins, his eyes filled with rage as he hissed, "You didn't deserve the crown anyway: what self-respecting Gryffindor bends his knee to a Slytherin?"

"Is that a challenge, Prefect?" asked Harry, turning to face Percy as he added, "Or should that be _ex-_Prefect?"

"Shut your mouth, Potter!" snarled Percy, now spitting on the ground in front of Harry as he added, "As long as there is blood in my veins, I will _never_ bend my knee to a slimy Slytherin like _you!_ You shame Lily and James Potter's good names!"

"Now _that's_ a challenge," hissed Harry, before he let loose completely: his magic flooded the courtyard, turning the water below to ice while the birds around the courtyard took off in flight of fear. As Percy felt Harry's magic, he felt it compressing in on his throat, cutting off his air supply.

"Harry!" pleaded Dumbledore, "Let him go: you know he doesn't deserve this. Think of your parents!"

"I am," Harry scowled, but he was soon stopped by two hands in his; looking down, the Slytherin/Gryffindor King found Draco and Neville standing on either side of him, both of them fuelling their own patience and spirit through their blood-brother while Percy was left gasping and, at a word from McGonagall, without his badge.

"Learn the lesson quickly, Lions," Neville insisted, glaring daggers at Percy as he was helped by the idiot, "_NEVER_ insult the brave souls that are Lily and James Potter. And get over yourselves: the Boy-Who-Lived is no more, no matter _who_ may wish otherwise."

Every eye on the face of the three brothers glared at Dumbledore as Neville said the last part, though Harry managed to look more to Severus as he felt his energy catching up with him.

He'd never felt as angry as he had done against Weasley…

And yet, for all his fear and terror of being something truly bad and freakish, Harry couldn't help but admit one fact to himself;

He'd finally tasted the true strength of his magic…and he _liked_ what he tasted…

**Chapter 12 and it seems that Harry is starting to acknowledge the true strength of his magic, but is this as far as it goes or does more lie in wait for Grindelwald's heir?**

**Plus, now that Harry rules the Lions' Den, what can Dumbledore do when his nightmare now watches the Gryffindors rather than being one of them?**

**Keep Reading to Find Out**

**Next Chapter: Neville has a talk with his brothers about why he doesn't feel any hatred towards a certain Death Eater; also, it's Christmas and Harry and Draco return home where Tracey has a quiet word with Harry about a favour to repay his kindness towards them; also, a strange/familiar face meets our heroes at the Malfoys' Christmas Ball and Harry makes a startling discovery…**

**Please Read and Review**

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Poll**_

**Now, with the year about to leave us behind, I've decided to take some of my Crossover options from the Den of Delights and turn **_**one**_** of them into a story; which one, well I leave that up to you.**

**The winning story will be posted in the first week of January 2015, so be sure to cast your votes and decide…**

**OC SPELLS:**

_**Electrosiam: **_**The Electroweb Jinx: Summons a torrent of electrical energy that wraps around conductive sources to cause additional damage/paralysis of a target**

_**Atmistecta: **_**The Fog Bank Charm: One of the Weather Warrior spells: summons a watery fog bank that obscures the field**

_**Patroperca: **_**The Shield-Breaker Hex: With enough focus, this spell can pierce even the thickest of shields to allow damage to an opponent;**

_**Protego Nethri: **_**The Black Hole Shield Jinx: Summons a shield to the caster that swallows up all magical damage like a vortex**

_**Atmoarcis: **_**The Snowstorm Charm: One of the Weather Warrior spells: summons a rolling wave of ice and snow that can disorient an opponent's focus and freeze them in place;**


	13. Neville's Secret

Dark Shadows

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or any of its associated characters; all rights belong to JK Rowling; I do own any OC spells explained at the end of a chapter.

**Plot: **Seeing is Believing Challenge Response: Dark secrets, a new chance at a life he should have lived and shocking revelations concerning his family set Harry Potter on a path into the dark areas of magic, but, to him, there is no good and evil, there is only magic and those worthy to wield it.

**Added Note: **Now, since I _know_ that some people will either complain about repetitions of my old work, I'll just say it again: if you don't like it, then don't read it.

To quote advice from one of my good friends:

_**There is a HUGE difference between constructive criticism and someone who is being rude. I DO NOT like it when people do nothing but complain about my stories. If my story is not your cup of tea then do us both a favor and do not read it. To be ugly about each chapter and never say anything nice is not only annoying, but it is extremely rude. **_

_**I go out of my way to please my readers. I cannot please everyone. In the end, there is really only one person who needs to be pleased. That person would be me.**_

Okay?

So, if for any reason this story doesn't fit your liking, then either go and read something else, or even better, write your own stories; that's what FFN is for, after all. I'm not JK Rowling, so I don't put the characters the same as those brilliant books and films, but still, I am the same as any writer with my work being targeted by negative comments, abusive remarks and, worse of all, plain-minded opinions telling me it's stupid, disbelieving, wrong or just plain ignorant.

Hello?

It's called FAN-FICTION-dot-net for a reason…

Sorry for my little rant there, my loyal readers; I just needed to get that off my chest before we get into the story: so, let's go…

**Dedication: **I'd like to dedicate this story to everyone that's been on that very rocky road with me throughout the year and helped keep my spirits up with all my stories; my recommended reads are _A Familiar's Intuition_ by Dragonsrule18, _Silver Tongue_ by Shadow Hidden By The Moon and _Rewind of Time_ by StormyFireDragon: three amazing stories, the first of which inspired the challenge and this story, so an added thanks to _Dragonsrule18_ for that.

**Key Pairing: **Eventual Harry/Tracey; Eventual Draco/Hermione; Neville/Daphne;

**Other Pairings: **Lucius/Narcissa; Eventual Blaise/Luna; Mentions of Lily/James

Normal Speech

'Thought'

/_Parseltongue_/

**Review Answers:**

**EndlessChains: Yeah well the troll incident has been done to death, so I chose to go down a different road;**

**ShadowlordZane: Do we really know that? Hm, interesting theory;**

**StormyFireDragon: Ask and ye shall receive, my dear friend;**

**Winged Seer Wolf: That's an interesting idea if the King actually wanted to be King rather than just a title, so I'll see what I can do to work that into it; thanks for all your help, D;**

**DragonTamer01: My plan was to do something like that where each spell matched a storm/type of storm;**

**Daithi4377: No puns intended, but I think that this is going to wind up turning into a real game of thrones, right?**

_He'd never felt as angry as he had done against Weasley…_

_And yet, for all his fear and terror of being something truly bad and freakish, Harry couldn't help but admit one fact to himself;_

_He'd finally tasted the true strength of his magic…and he liked what he tasted…_

Chapter 13: Neville's Secret

Following Harry's duel with the Gryffindor King and his resulting victory and newly-earned conquest of the Lions' Den, the new Gryffindor King – or the Chimera King as Harry soon learned the infamous Weasley Twins had started to call him – found himself not only sharing odd study moments with a few Gryffindors, but he also found himself earning a place in the Lions' Den and, as the King, he was privy to the passwords for the dormitory.

When Percy Weasley still didn't apologise for his slur on Harry's family, Harry enacted the stake he'd made at the duel and stripped the boy of his Prefect's badge before awarding it to Deke as a thanks for being both honourable and understanding in his desire not to cause serious harm. He would have offered it to Oliver Wood, a tall, handsome-looking fifth year, but when he asked the man, he also discovered Oliver was captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team and didn't really desire the badge.

As for Weasley's younger brother, Harry was amused, but cautious, when he learned that Fred and George Weasley, the infamous Demon Twins of Gryffindor, had taken to giving their brother a few _surprises_ in his dormitory for slandering a hero of Gryffindor. He also learned that the Twins weren't anything like their siblings: they were fun-loving, happy-go-lucky souls that didn't much care about the fact that Harry was friends with people like Draco and other Death Eater children.

They didn't care about Harry's title as the Boy-Who-Lived and, whenever they saw him, the two had a bit of a funnily-annoying habit of parting the path ahead of Harry and declaring to the hall, "Make way for the King!"

Though Harry had his secret liking for the darkly-true strength of his magic, he found the lighter side of him coming back when he thought of the Twins.

Even with their annoying sides, Harry had a feeling that, with time, he could get used to them.

Maybe even consider adding them to the Court in due time.

In the first week of December, Harry and the Slytherins found one of their study sessions interrupted when Severus came around with a list for those who would be staying at Hogwarts over the holidays. Going with the fact that he now had a family who wanted him there rather than seeing him as a black spot on their vision, Harry put his name down as did Draco and, when Harry asked, he also learned that Daphne, Hermione and, in Ravenclaw, Neville and Tracey had also put their names down.

This meant that the entire Silver Court would be going home over the holidays and, in the week before they were to leave, Harry also learned from a letter from his adoptive Father that Neville had accepted an invitation to spend the solstice – magical members didn't really call it Christmas – with his brothers.

Two days before Harry and Draco were to leave for Malfoy Manor, the Chimera King was surprised and a _little_ unnerved when he found himself summoned to Dumbledore's office. Thankfully, it seemed that Severus was determined to keep his promise from earlier in the year as he accompanied Harry to the Headmaster's office.

Entering the room, Harry had a distinct impression that he would never find a place more magically-filled or with so much hidden glamour to it as Dumbledore's office. The walls were lined with portraits of what Harry assumed were former headmasters while a large shelf behind Dumbledore held many different oddments that he could only hazard a guess as to what they were there for.

As Harry walked into the office, however, the first thing he noticed was something that he would _never_ forget as long as he should live; a beautiful red-and-golden-feathered creature was perched on a golden stand next to the headmaster's table. Its eyes were a deep shade of amber while it had a beautifully-stunning array of feathers along its wings and tail.

As Harry looked to the creature, his eyes widened as he realised what it was that he was looking at: a phoenix, undoubtedly at the height of its lifespan when they were at their most-beautiful in looks.

"Harry, my boy; thank you for coming."

Directing his attention back to the table – much to Harry's regret as he felt that he could stare at the beautiful creature all day – Harry scowled with the man's _constant_ formal use of his name as he saw Dumbledore sat there and, next to him, the young Slytherin's eyes narrowed as he saw a stocky-looking witch with dark-red hair and a look to her that had Harry shivering.

It was like someone who delighted in making others uncomfortable by smothering them with kindness and affection: if anything, Harry was reminded of Petunia as he looked at this woman.

"Headmaster," Harry replied coolly, feeling the attempted Legilimency attack before he even had a chance to finish speaking; deflecting it with ease – thanks to Severus' teachings and his nightly meditations as well as an added bonus of finally forming his Night Bond with Helios – Harry smirked as he saw the disappointment on Dumbledore's face before he asked him, "How can I help you, sir?"

"I would like to introduce you to a friend of mine: Molly Weasley," answered Dumbledore, the W-word only adding to Harry's discomfort of the woman as Dumbledore continued, "I believe you are on fairly good terms with her sons, Frederick and George?"

"They are…associates of mine from Gryffindor, yes," replied Harry smoothly, putting his weeks of training with Lucius over the summer to good use as he added, "As I am the new and current Gryffindor King, it would be rude of me not to consider associations from Godric's House."

"I see," Dumbledore nodded, a shiver running down his spine as he noticed how Harry's tone reminded him of another, but he went on. "Well, my boy, given your…association with the twins, I have asked Molly here to open her home to you over the summer…"

"I don't think so," Harry replied coolly, though his voice _nearly_ betrayed his sense of formality as his eyes had darkened with rage as he spoke to Dumbledore.

"Now, Harry-dear," Molly Weasley replied, her tone reminding Harry of nails on a chalkboard: she also had a side to her tone that was almost sickly-sweet and only sought to further Harry's comparison to his babying ex-aunt. "Surely you aren't actually thinking of spending time on your own? I have a daughter who would just love to meet you."

"So would Lord Greengrass' daughter, I'm sure," answered Harry, his rage showing in a sudden burst of cold air that rushed through the office; on his perch, the phoenix let out a soothing, but warning tone that seemed to calm Harry as he continued, "But unlike yours, Madame, I think young…Astoria, I think her name was?"

"That's right," Severus muttered, trying not to drop his mask as he saw how Harry was playing the game against his enemies here.

"Astoria," continued Harry, "I think she has an invitation to my _Mother_ and _Father's_ Winter Solstice Celebrations, so she'll get her wish."

"The Malfoys are _not_ your parents, you stupid child!" hissed Molly, forgetting herself for a moment and, at the same time, making a _very_ big mistake.

You could do many things to Harry: insult him, degrade him, make him doubt himself and go through the pain that he'd had to endure from the idiots who wouldn't listen and learn their lessons.

However, you did _not_ call him stupid and expect him to take it lying down!

"Dobby!" barked Harry, earning a gasp from Severus and Dumbledore as, on command, the elf appeared; before he had a chance to speak, however, Harry then added, "If they're not too busy, could you bring Mum and Dad here? Tell them it's an emergency."

Dobby took fifteen seconds to disappear and reappear with Lucius and Narcissa, the latter moving to protect her adoptive son as she saw Molly Weasley sat with Albus Dumbledore.

"What is the meaning of this?" asked Lucius, turning to see Severus standing there; with a curt nod, Lucius then added, "Well at least you did not leave him alone with them, Severus. Now, why has my son summoned us?"

"To prove to this _witch_ that you are who I say you are," answered Harry, almost slumping into Narcissa's embrace as he found himself having missed her warm motherly touch. "The _Headmaster_ seems to think that he can _arrange_ my summer accommodations when he knows full well that Lady Amelia Bones herself authorised your adoption of me."

"Indeed she did," Narcissa replied, her tone as icy as her persona could become as she held her son in her arms before she continued, "And in point of fact, Albus, lest you forget, Amelia _herself_ told you that our guardian status of young Harry was iron-clad! Now, I would gladly let my little one spend time with whoever _he_ chose to as long as it wasn't alone and he could return _home_ at any time. _However,_ I see no reason why he would need to go anywhere near that ruin _she_ calls a house."

"It's apparently because Harry is on good terms with Fred and George Weasley," Severus reasoned, earning a raised eyebrow from Lucius before he added, "I'm guessing they didn't tell you?"

"Tell us what?" asked Narcissa.

"I'm…I'm Gryffindor _and_ Slytherin's King," Harry answered, blushing slightly at this one point that he had actually hoped to tell the Malfoys at home, "I wanted to…to surprise you since…since I know you wanted me to be myself, but…"

"Gryffindor _and_ Slytherin's King?" asked Lucius, a note of pride in his voice as he added, "And you think this gives you the right to command his life _again,_ Albus? As my wife just told you, Harry will go wherever he chooses to go and only on the terms that my wife stated: now, of course, given their…association with my son, I would of course allow Messers Fred and George visit Harry…"

"No member of my family will _ever_ set foot on your dark soil, Malfoy!" sneered Molly.

"But you would let _my_ family set foot on yours, Molly?" asked Narcissa, earning a warm, but confident smile from Harry as she continued, "In any event, the point is a moot one. We have plans for the summer and the winter holidays that doesn't concern the _Headmaster_ of this school or his friends. After what you let happen last time, Albus, I think my child deserves to enjoy himself as much as he has already."

"Harry is _not_ your child, you Death Eater _bitch!_" hissed Molly, but suddenly, the woman gasped as she found her body frozen, the sheen of ice surrounding her in a cocoon of cold while, looking down, Narcissa saw Harry's eyes filled with rage and disbelief as he glared at Dumbledore.

"Silence your dog, Dumbledore!" Harry hissed icily, his breath actually fogging up the air as he warned the old man, "Or else I'll be forced to take this to the next level."

"Harry, it's all right, son," Lucius told him, putting a hand on Harry's shoulder while he also marvelled at the power and restraint held within his young ward, "There's no need to do that: I'm sure the _Head Master_ will have words with Madam Weasley about her words, won't you, Dumbledore?"

Albus could only nod before Narcissa, turning her son away from the horrible woman and her manipulative bed-fellow, led Harry out of the office, leaving Molly to defrost where, as soon as she did, she was sent away before screaming the office down.

As for Dumbledore, he knew that he needed to up his game if he was going to get Harry away from the Malfoys.

Without the Dursleys to abuse him, it looked like Albus needed to go to a plan he hadn't hoped to enforce…

_**Dark Shadows**_

"Stupid, manipulative, sadistically-minded old…"

"Draco Malfoy, watch your language!" Narcissa scolded her son as he paced back and forth in Severus' office, the two Malfoy elders watching over their children while Harry was also surrounded by his Court, each of them somehow having sensed his pain and fury.

As his blood-brother, Neville had sensed it worse, but when he'd found the Court with their King, he knew that Harry would be okay; introducing himself fully to Narcissa and Lucius, Neville told them the same thing he'd told Harry and Draco about trust.

While Draco calmed down, Narcissa then asked the question that had burned in Harry's mind for weeks, "Why do you trust my family so easily, Mr Longbottom? And please don't just say it's because of Harry."

"It's not," Neville replied, thankful that the office was warded and locked, giving them peace of mind; looking to the other members of the court, Neville sighed before he explained, "When I first met Harry and Draco, I told them that it was because of the fact that I had a hunch about…about Bellatrix Lestrange that I trusted them, but…but I don't think I need to keep secrets anymore."

"No," Harry answered, watching as, to his surprise, Hermione led Draco to a seat while Tracey sat next to him, Daphne now standing next to Neville, a look of comfort and care in her eyes as she nodded to her betrothed, "You don't: I always felt that there _was_ a reason for it, Neville, but I didn't say anything because I could see you were happy. Then we were put into different Houses and…well, the rest as they say, is history."

"So you can say anything you need or want to, brother," Draco told him, noticing the looks of shock from the others as he added, "Yeah, there's one part to the thing that Harry, Neville and I share that we haven't told you, but we will. Anyway, go on, Neville: we're all ears and, you can bet yourself we won't say anything to anyone."

"Promise?" asked Neville.

"Promise," chorused the Court.

Heaving a sigh, Neville took Daphne's hand in his before he explained, "All…all right, but please understand that I only know what I learned: I…I don't really know anything else, but…but what I do know is what helped me make the hunch."

"All right," Harry nodded, "So what do you _know_, Neville?"

"Only this," Neville answered, looking now to Narcissa as he told her, "I don't think Bellatrix had anything to do with…with Mum and Dad's current state because…because _she's my Mother!_"

"WHAT?" Yelled Lucius, while Harry actually laughed as Draco looked to his Mother in surprise, all three of them sharing the same reaction as Harry returned his attention to Neville.

"How…how do you know?" asked the Slytherin King.

"When Daphne and I were officially betrothed," Neville explained, his voice edged by new determination as he told them, "Lord Ciaran did a heritage test on me and made me see what I would become the Regent of through our unity. It was then that my test revealed…well, Professor Snape, can I borrow your Pensieve?"

With a nod, Severus pulled the device from his desk before he helped Neville remove the appropriate memory from his mind and, casting a spell that allowed everyone to share the memory, the Court watched as the words appeared in front of them:

**BLOOD MAGICAL DNA RECOGNISED:**

**NAME:**

_**Rhydian Thomas Lestrange – adopted Neville Franklin Longbottom**_

**AGE: **

_**11 Years**_

**BLOOD STATUS: **

_**Pureblood**_

**PARENTS: **

_**Rodolphus Andreas Lestrange**_

_**Bellatrix Jezebel Lestrange nee Black**_

**ADOPTIVE PARENTS**

_**Frank Richard Longbottom**_

_**Alice Tanya Longbottom**_

**GODPARENTS: **

_**Severus Tobias Snape**_

_**Lilian Alexandra Potter nee Grindelwald**_

**MAGICAL ABILITIES: **

_**Herbology Master – partially blocked**_

_**Forest Elemental – blocked**_

_**Healer's Art – blocked**_

_**Potions Prodigy – blocked**_

_**Wandless Magic Master – blocked**_

_**Metamorphmagus – blocked**_

**OTHER INFORMATION:**

**Blood bonds detected: source of bond – Draco Alexander Malfoy, Harry James Potter.**

**Status of bonds: blood-brothers, formed, but sealed**

**Blood Seal detected: cause: to hide true appearance, true parentage, true skills**

"Neville?" asked Harry, looking up at his blood-brother before he asked, "Do…did the Greengrasses…"

"No," answered Daphne, "But Father's been trying to help him find out why his magic was blocked and why this happened."

"But that's why I suspect foul play," Neville then added, his voice edged with dark determination as he explained, "For years, I've been told that Bellatrix…that my _real_ Mum was there to kill me. But I don't think that: I think…"

"She was trying to _save_ you," Draco finished, looking now to Harry as he saw a look of rage in his brother's eyes, "You okay?"

"No, Draco," answered Harry icily, "No I'm not."

**Chapter 13 and Neville's secret is out, but what will this mean for the Trio as their power and brotherhood grows stronger?**

**Also, what is the 'last resort' that Dumbledore is willing to do to get Harry away from the Malfoys?**

**Keep Reading to Find Out**

**Next Chapter: It's Christmas and Harry and Draco return home where Tracey has a quiet word with Harry about a favour to repay his kindness towards them; also, a strange/familiar face meets our heroes at the Malfoys' Christmas Ball; **

**Please Read and Review**

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Poll**_

**Okay, so remember that poll on my profile? Well, I've taken the votes used already and narrowed it down to five options, so if you already voted on the first one, then go and see if you change your mind;**

**The winning story will be posted in the first week of January 2015, so be sure to cast your votes and decide…**

_**AN2: Neville**_

**Okay, so a few of you probably saw it coming, but when I asked you what Bella's reason would be, a lot of you voted for it to be that she was getting something back, so here's the truth. Now there's just one last element left to discover and that will come soon;**

_**AN3: **_**This story**

**Now, a question for you, my readers; I'm enjoying writing this story and I like the responses I'm getting, but, given how we're getting into it, should I keep the story as a whole throughout the gang's years or should I split each year into separate stories?**

**If you think the latter, then this story will end at the end of first year, but I'd like to hear your opinions…**


	14. The Winter Solstice

Dark Shadows

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or any of its associated characters; all rights belong to JK Rowling; I do own any OC spells explained at the end of a chapter.

**Plot: **Seeing is Believing Challenge Response: Dark secrets, a new chance at a life he should have lived and shocking revelations concerning his family set Harry Potter on a path into the dark areas of magic, but, to him, there is no good and evil, there is only magic and those worthy to wield it.

**Added Note: **Now, since I _know_ that some people will either complain about repetitions of my old work, I'll just say it again: if you don't like it, then don't read it.

To quote advice from one of my good friends:

_**There is a HUGE difference between constructive criticism and someone who is being rude. I DO NOT like it when people do nothing but complain about my stories. If my story is not your cup of tea then do us both a favor and do not read it. To be ugly about each chapter and never say anything nice is not only annoying, but it is extremely rude. **_

_**I go out of my way to please my readers. I cannot please everyone. In the end, there is really only one person who needs to be pleased. That person would be me.**_

Okay?

So, if for any reason this story doesn't fit your liking, then either go and read something else, or even better, write your own stories; that's what FFN is for, after all. I'm not JK Rowling, so I don't put the characters the same as those brilliant books and films, but still, I am the same as any writer with my work being targeted by negative comments, abusive remarks and, worse of all, plain-minded opinions telling me it's stupid, disbelieving, wrong or just plain ignorant.

Hello?

It's called FAN-FICTION-dot-net for a reason…

Sorry for my little rant there, my loyal readers; I just needed to get that off my chest before we get into the story: so, let's go…

**Dedication: **I'd like to dedicate this story to everyone that's been on that very rocky road with me throughout the year and helped keep my spirits up with all my stories; my recommended reads are _A Familiar's Intuition_ by Dragonsrule18, _Silver Tongue_ by Shadow Hidden By The Moon and _Rewind of Time_ by StormyFireDragon: three amazing stories, the first of which inspired the challenge and this story, so an added thanks to _Dragonsrule18_ for that.

**Key Pairing: **Eventual Harry/Tracey; Eventual Draco/Hermione; Neville/Daphne;

**Other Pairings: **Lucius/Narcissa; Eventual Blaise/Luna; Mentions of Lily/James

Normal Speech

'Thought'

/_Parseltongue_/

**Review Answers:**

**Winged Seer Wolf: Hm, interesting suggestion if I do say so;**

**Lovleydarkness: True;**

**Arashi the Solar Phoenix: Well this name came from one of my favourite TV series, but mostly I just look them up;**

**DragonTamer01: There is a death coming; I won't say who, but it's coming;**

**EndlessChains: Different and yet I find myself still able to keep working on it;**

**WhiteElfElder: Yeah, but we all know that's not going to happen;**

**Daithi4377: In a game of man vs. gods, I think Dumbledore is little more than a peasant and fails to realise it;**

**Venquine1990: Everyone had different opinions, but when I read your review, I was in agreement;**

**StormyFireDragon: Get ready for a wrench thrown in the works, Storm;**

**Lawstudent092: Thanks J: I hope you like what's coming;**

**ALSO: With regards to my earlier question, I have decided that this story is going ALL the way to either end of 4****th**** year or all the way: I haven't decided yet, but I'll figure it out myself in due time. Thanks to everyone who offered their opinions;**

**This chapter is dedicated to each of you: oh, and a warning, there's a death in this chapter…well, technically, two, but you know what I mean.**

"_She was trying to save you," Draco finished, looking now to Harry as he saw a look of rage in his brother's eyes, "You okay?"_

"_No, Draco," answered Harry icily, "No I'm not."_

Chapter 14: The Winter Solstice

_**AN: Neville will now be written as Rhydian**_

Even with the truth of their third brother known, Harry and Draco couldn't get their heads around how someone could lie about an attack and leave Neville…sorry, Rhydian feeling so insecure and lost about his own identity for nigh on ten years.

When Draco asked, it was Harry that answered, "Well I know what it's like, Drake: those cursed Muggles kept _me_ in the dark for ten years _and_ made me believe that I was nobody."

Draco just nodded and, in that same meeting, he then realised why it was that Harry had said he wasn't all right: given that he had been raised by lies, deception and hatred, it made sense that he would feel pretty dark at the moment. Since Rhydian had confirmed back in their first meeting that they were a Trinity – bonded through Harry – it was also clear to Draco that Harry's emotions were at war with himself.

A Trinity was a powerful bond and, in a way, each of them now had a claim to the darkness of that bond:

Draco, son of Lucius, who was also the former right-hand of Lord Voldemort, was Harry's right-hand and his shield.

Rhydian, son of Bellatrix Lestrange, one of the Dark Lord's most-devoted followers and his other key lieutenant in the forces, was Harry's left hand and his sword.

But Harry himself, son of the daughter of Gellert Grindelwald, Nethermancer and Triple-Class Elemental – Ice, Shadow and Lightning – as well as being the King of two Houses and with an already-formed Court under his belt: it would have been obvious to those with half a brain as to why he was the central point of the Trinity.

On their last night in Hogwarts before the winter holidays, Severus allowed Rhydian to spend time with his blood-brothers in their dorm, the three of them just being normal students as they studied and socialised.

However, as curfew drew around and the brothers began to climb into their beds – Rhydian in a sleeping bag in between the two boys' beds – Harry leaned up on his elbow before he asked, "So, any ideas as to how Neville Longbottom disappears so Rhydian Lestrange can come out?"

"You could just give the old switcheroo," suggested Rhydian, his confidence and strength having returned to normal now that his brothers knew his secret, "You know: do a Dumbledore and put someone else with the Longbottoms, maybe in a coma?"

"That's an idea," Draco sniggered, before he too lifted himself up as he asked, "But what's stopping us just going ahead and telling others that you're really a Lestrange?"

"Dumbledore," chorused the other two, Harry's eyes now glowing with a familiar hint of rage as he explained, "If he _is_ the one behind the taking of Rhydian in the first place, then letting him know that _we_ know who he is would be like putting a red rag in front of a bull."

"I never understood that expression," Rhydian remarked, rolling onto his stomach so that he could look up at his brothers, "I mean, I get that bulls hate the colour red, but why would you actually _want_ to put a red rag in front of them? Isn't that just asking to be gored?"

"This is your train of thought, now?" asked Draco, earning a shrug from Rhydian before Draco laughed, "You really _are_ Aunt Bella's son: but I do agree with Harry now that I think about it. If Dumbledore were to learn that we had any knowledge of who you are, he'd have Harry over the proverbial barrel and then what about Mother and Father?"

It was as he said this that both Draco and Rhydian looked to Harry with curiosity: the reason being that, when Draco had mentioned Narcissa, Harry's emotions had spiked with a sense of sudden inspiration.

"What are you planning?" asked Rhydian, wishing to all the gods in heaven that he could read his younger brother's mind.

However, Harry just smirked as he told them, "Mum's a Black, isn't she, Draco?"

"Yes," Draco answered, his eyes on Rhydian as he added, "Just like Aunt Bella and the wanderer, Andromeda Tonks: filthy little vermin married a flipping Mudblood!"

"We can deal with that later," Harry reasoned, before he looked to Rhydian as he added, "We want a way to protect you and make sure that no-one can get to you, so, rather than announce you as a Lestrange and frighten Hogwarts to no end…well, not until we're ready to do so, what if we ask Mum to put you under the Black Banner?"

"Explain?" asked Rhydian, earning a smile from Harry that had both him and Draco shivering.

"The Black Family," Harry explained calmly, "It's connected to so many, including, allegedly, mine: my godfather, Sirius Black, is currently persona non grata with the family, but I'm also connected to him as are you and Draco. So, if we have a matriarch of the family, like Mum since I can't _bear_ thinking the thought of having a James-bloody-Potter worshipper meeting me and since Aunt Bella is in Azkaban, but if we have Mum call in her Black family line, she can adopt and protect you as a Black until Aunt Bella gets out and meets you herself. By that time, you'll have all your powers back, your true appearance restored and, even better, we get to put the fear of Morgana into Dumbledore!"

"Rhydian Black," whispered Draco, sniggering to himself as he added, "I like it, but what about the Longbottom woman?"

"Do with her as you wish," Rhydian answered, his cold tone surprising the others as he explained, "She let her _brother_ Algernon torment the magic into me and, by the time I allegedly started showing it, I was already broken. If Lord Ciaran hadn't contacted her on the day of my tenth birthday about the betrothal contract my Father agreed to, I don't know what would have happened."

"What about the Dowager?" asked Draco suddenly, "What did she do while all this was going on?"

"She was with her good friends Firewhiskey and Jack Daniels," snarled Rhydian, looking to Draco as he told him, "She never stopped since the Longbottoms were incarcerated and, like I said, that senile demented old…"

"Rhydian!" Harry laughed, earning a cough from his brother as he went on.

"That _git_ told her that Mum attacked us out of spite and vengeance, so do with her and, if he's there, _dear Algie_ as you wish!"

With a sinister smile that definitely showed his Dark Lord's grandson side, Harry sniggered as he told his brother, "I'm sure we can think of something."

_**Dark Shadows**_

"Harry, how are you, sweetheart?"

"I'm just fine, Mum," laughed Harry as he was embraced by Narcissa back on King's Cross Station, "Our friend Hermione sends her apologies for not being able to attend the Ball. Her parents have some Muggle thing going on, so she had to go with them. But Tracey, Daphne and Rhy…I mean, Neville will be there on the Solstice."

"That's good," Narcissa replied, leading her adoptive son to the Apparition point where Lucius was already waiting with Draco; one short moment of discomfort later, Harry breathed in a scent of familiarity as he felt the almost-ticklish tingles of his new family's home welcoming him back.

As they stepped into the main hall, Harry then turned before he asked, "Mum, could I ask you a personal favour?"

"Would this be about Rhydian, Harry?" asked Narcissa, earning a nod from her son as she added, "It's okay, Lucius and I anticipated this and the troubles that would come from announcing him as a Lestrange, so we've spent the past few days sorting out things for an impromptu, unorthodox little blood adoption that will return his Black Blood to him."

"Wow," laughed Harry, looking to Draco with confusion as he asked, "Isn't that what we were planning?"

"What can I say?" asked Draco as they were led to the dining hall for lunch, "Mother knows best."

_**Dark Shadows**_

Harry had never really had a cause to celebrate the wintertime holiday known as Christmas:

For him, Christmas was slaving away for the Muggles, being forced to watch as Dudley was spoiled rotten and then having to clear away the mess while enduring, at one time, a drunken beating from Vernon after a deal at work had gone sour.

But with the Malfoys…with his new family, Harry didn't have to worry about any of that: Narcissa had him staying as far away from the kitchens and all forms of cooking over the holidays, though she _did_ let him be a kid when he and Draco woke on the second day of their holiday to find snow blanketing the estate.

It was fun for Harry and enjoyable for Narcissa to see her adoptive child playing so happily with his brother and both of them enjoying the moment as only children could do. In the afternoon, the manor became alive with life and energy as the boys' friends, Miss Davis, Miss Parkinson and Mr Zabini paid them a visit, turning a simple one-on-one snowball fight into a free for all that wound up with Harry using his Ice power to shift a whole snowdrift onto the kids, surprising them, but nearly freezing them completely.

As everyone settled in the lounge with large mugs of hot chocolate and jammy crumpets all round, Harry's peace of the moment was then interrupted when, suddenly, the fireplace of the Malfoy Manor lit up and, from the other side, a familiar voice asked, "Harry, Draco: you there?"

"Neville?" asked Harry, using the old name in case of eavesdroppers, "What's wrong?"

"Can I come through?" asked their brother, earning confirmations from Lucius and Narcissa; when Neville/Rhydian stepped through, the Court all gasped when they saw a heavy, deep-red welt on the left side of his face, small scars lining his eye where nails had caught him.

Switching off and sealing the Floo Gate, Lucius watched as Harry and Draco approached their brother before the Slytherin King asked, "What happened?"

"She hit me," Rhydian seethed, his eyes glowing a dull, sapphire-blue-like colour as he added, "I…I couldn't stop it: I just…I just did it."

"Did what?" asked Pansy, watching as the gang sat together once more.

"My magic," Rhydian answered, "It…it lashed out: she's never hit me before even with all her drinking problems, but…but when she did, I just…I just lost it."

"Dead?" asked Draco.

"Yes," Rhydian answered, shivering as he added, "I…I choked her…no-one can tell, but…but she was gasping for air and…and when I wouldn't let her go, her…her neck snapped and…and she fell."

"She deserved it," Harry growled, earning looks from his friends, but not from Draco or Rhydian, "You said it yourself, Rhydian, she never had any real love for you. Only a care for being a cold-hearted, lets-others-abuse-you _cow_ of a woman. Besides, she'd have only done worse if you actually told her that you knew who you were."

Rhydian met Harry's green-eyed gaze before, with a gentle smile, he nodded once as he told him, "Thanks, Harry: I didn't tell her that I knew. All that I said was that I was spending Yule with my betrothed and, in her drunken stupor, she asked me who I was betrothed to. I said Daphne and she started slandering their names: I mean, Daphne's family are neutral in this never-ending conflict, so there's not really a problem with them. But she then said that a friend of hers told her that I was seen palling around with the Slytherin King and, if I was doing that, then I had no business being with a Death Eater's bitch like Daph. I told her to shut up and she hit me: I…I couldn't keep it in."

"You didn't need to," Lucius told him, watching as his sons comforted their brother, who was trembling, but not crying as he vented his frustration, "And you don't need to worry, Rhydian: this can be your home for as long as you need it to be."

"What I need, Uncle Lucius," Rhydian argued, earning the trio a few confusing looks from the others before Draco told them he'd explain later. "Is for some sort of ritual or cleanse or whatever needs to be done to help me be rid of this faker Neville Longbottom. I know it'll cause trouble with people like that sick and twisted old asshole, but I'm not going to hide it. Harry doesn't hide his power and Draco's not afraid of being the son of the Dark Lord's right hand, so why should I be afraid of being the son of the Dark Lord's left hand?"

"Are you sure about this, Rhydian?" asked Narcissa, earning a nod from the lean boy as she added, "All right: Harry and Draco? Could one of you go and have Dobby or Ally fetch the Greengrass family? As Rhydian's betrothed, she'll need to be here so that they can still acknowledge one another and agree about where to go from here."

Harry stayed while Draco went to deliver the message; as for the Slytherin King, he turned to his other friends before he told them, "I guess we have some explaining to do, huh?"

While Narcissa prepared Rhydian for his transformation back into his old self, Harry filled in the Court on the details, though he made a silent note to also explain this to Hermione when they met again.

After all, the Court were united in all things, one way or another…

_**Dark Shadows**_

"Are you sure about this, son?"

"Rhydian's not scared of his secrets, Mum," Harry explained as he pulled out the Grindelwald Grimoire under Narcissa's watchful glare, "So I shouldn't be either: I know that looking into the Dark Arts will change me, but I'm already stepping in and out of the dark with my desire to protect my team and my family."

"All right," Narcissa replied, knowing that she couldn't really stop Harry: the dark side of magic was his legacy, after all. "But if you get worried or anxious about anything, just call Lucius or me. Also, no sharing these details with Draco or Rhydian: the Grimoire of any family is for family alone, understand?"

"But they're my brothers," argued Harry, "My Trinity."

"But they're _not_ Grindelwald blood," added Narcissa, "If it were Potter magic or even Black, then you'd be okay, but the knowledge of your grandfather is for you and you alone. It's the same with you and Draco learning from the Malfoy Grimoire, but Rhydian won't be able to and, again, him from the Lestrange, but you won't."

"But all three of us could with the Black," Harry nodded, understanding what his adoptive Mother was trying to tell him, "Okay: so when can we see it?"

"Not until you're thirteen," answered Narcissa, seeing the sly smile cross her little boy's face, "The things in there are not for kids."

"But the things in here are?" asked Harry, holding up the Grimoire while Narcissa laughed again and, closing the door to Harry's room, she left him to his studies.

Inside the room, Harry opened the first page again and, looking to the letter written by his Mother, he asked himself, "Now, where was I?"

_**Hello sweetie;**_

_**If the magic of this book has acknowledged your magical aura and strength, then it means that you have received the power meant for you and, to my sheer regret, it also means I'm no longer there with you. But it's okay, sweetheart, because I know that there are people who will look after you.**_

_**Now, though the magic of this book has recognised you, it also holds a secret of its own: for what you hold in your hands is the Grimoire of Gellert Grindelwald, your grandfather and my Father. Unlike normal books, the Grimoire is enchanted to provide you with answers about our gifts, legacy and heritage: to fuse my knowledge with this book required blood and a sample of my own magic, but I know that I did it for the right reasons.**_

_**I only hope that you are safe, strong and loved and, as you hold this book in your hands, I know that you have power at your fingertips: do with it as you please and, when the secrets are revealed to you, only make the choices that matter to you.**_

_**When you want to know more about your powers or our family's knowledge, simply hold this book in your hands and think on what you want to know. Then, my love, all will be revealed to you.**_

_**I will always love you, my little dark prince;**_

_**Your Father and I are always with you and we shall never be lost to you no matter what the Light wants.**_

_**In closing, I leave you with a warning: do not allow Albus Dumbledore to catch you alone or unprepared: he seeks the power you have and he will do anything to see the Grand Design broken in favour of the Greater Good.**_

_**If he gets you, then our world will fall: remember always that, no matter your personal affiliation, it is the darkness that is your ally.**_

_**Until we meet again, my sweet little boy, I hope your life is always yours;**_

_**Mum**_

_**PS: Before you go on to learn more about the line you come from, there is something you need to know.**_

_**You Are Not Alone with our blood.**_

_**Find the one I thought I lost and the truth shall be known to you.**_

_**If there's anyone other than your godparents whom I trust to help you become the bright little dark wizard you're destined to be, it's my brother.**_

_**Once you find him, the rest is yours to do as you please.**_

_**I love you so very much, Harry.**_

"A brother?" asked Harry, feeling a shiver run down his spine as he looked to the next page of the book, "I have…another Grindelwald relative?"

The revelation had spooked him, though Harry did his best to keep reading as he focused solely on his desire, not for power or greatness.

But to prove himself worthy of his grandfather's title.

_**Dark Shadows**_

On Christmas Morning, Harry was surprised, but not saddened or disappointed to find the whole Court gathered around his bed in a collective group of sleeping bags and sleeping forms, each of them circling the King protectively as they remained in place.

With a sly smile, Harry grabbed the Elder Wand before, pointing it at the nearest sleeping bag, which belonged to Draco, he sniggered as he whispered, "_Ascendare!_"

"Wha…HARRY!" Cried Draco as his bag was thrown into the air before coming to a soft, cushioning crash on top of Rhydian, who then moved on to wake the others with the laughter of the brothers and a sense of joy and childish delight that was shared by the friends.

"Happy Christmas guys," laughed Harry, earning a round of pillows to his face from his friends before, as everyone managed to get to their feet, Harry slipped on his dressing gown as he asked, "So, shall we go now?"

"We could have done without the wake-up call, Harry," laughed Daphne, leaving with Rhydian next to her, both of them knowing that the potion that Narcissa and Ciaran Greengrass had arranged to release Rhydian's blocks would be given to him today.

They'd also agreed that their betrothal would stick as, more than anything else; it would give the Lestrange Heir a foot in the door against any naysayers in the Ministry who might try and take him out because he was Bellatrix Lestrange's son.

Personally, Rhydian was secretly daring anyone to try so that he could _actually_ show them what a Lestrange could do.

Downstairs, the living room of Malfoy Manor was filled with piles of presents and a roaring warm fire; as the kids ran in, acting more like kids than ever, Lucius, Narcissa, a tall, caramel-blonde-haired man with deep-grey eyes – Ciaran Greengrass – as well as a fair-haired, blue-eyed woman – Elena Greengrass – all appeared from the kitchen, carrying trays of breakfast between them.

"So," asked Lucius as the kids all sat down, clearly waiting for their parents' permission, "Who was it that woke everyone up?"

All hands pointed to Harry, who shrugged before he received a laugh from Narcissa and Elena, the latter smiling at him with an air of warmth as she had been told of everything she _needed_ to know by Narcissa. Thanks to her daughter and her betrothed, Harry had really cemented his legacy at Hogwarts and was someone that not many people chose to oppose…well, unless they didn't have a brain cell in their heads.

When their bellies were full and warm, Lucius looked once to Ciaran, who nodded before he spoke with a soft voice that made Harry think of a rainy day, "Now, since today is going to be special, we're going to take care of official business: so, Rhydian, would you come here?"

Rising to his feet, Rhydian walked over to where the Malfoy and Greengrass elders were standing, the latter holding a vial of silvery-grey potion that he handed to the boy as he told him, "Down in one, please."

With a swift gulp, Rhydian downed the vial before Lucius, drawing his wand, waved it over the boy's head as he commanded, "_Glamorie Reversi! Conscius Enervate! Spiri-Retrorsum!_"

As the rest of the Court watched, Rhydian's body began to glow with a whole cavalcade of colours that seemed to glow brighter and brighter like a pulse getting stronger. After a moment, every member of the room covered their ears as Rhydian opened his mouth and let out a cry of sheer pain, ecstasy and delight, the colours now exploding from his body in a fiery display of magic. (1)

As the scream intensified, Harry peered through his own pains at the sound of his brother's screams, his eyes filled with a hint of delight as he sensed dark magic within the spells used on Rhydian.

Then, with a gasp and a lurch that caused him to spew up his breakfast, Rhydian Lestrange returned to the world: gone was the slightly-rounded face and short stature; in his place was a pale, noble-looking individual with smooth skin and a glint to his eyes that could almost be described as youthfully-blessed-handsome.

His dark hair now had a slight bounce to it as it tickled his neckline and ears, though the colour was more like burned wood than jet-black and, to Harry's amusement, Rhydian also had a streak of white that lined the edge of his hairline near his ears and the back of his neck. His eyes were now a pale, haunting shade of blue that made most people feel chills: he was still lean, but now there was a ghostly, nimble sort of appearance to him that made him look spry, but dangerous at the same time.

Taking another deep breath, Rhydian straightened up before he asked, "So…how do I look?"

"Like Rodolphus," explained Narcissa, her voice edged by amusement as she added, "But you have Bella's complexion, the glint in her eyes and your hair…it's definitely hers, though the white surprises me."

At this, Harry laughed before he suggested, "Maybe it's because he's bonded to Draco and I, Mum."

"Maybe," agreed Narcissa, watching as the three brothers reunited, all of them feeling the newfound and free-spirited release of Rhydian's magic as he returned to the fold, "But at least he's happy."

After the transformation, it was time for gifts and, for Harry, it was a rather amazing mix of presents: from Lucius and Narcissa, he received a set of new robes and a set of books on Elemental Magic, though Narcissa had already given Harry a great gift by letting him call them his new parents.

From Draco, Harry was surprised to find a mystical-looking crystal ornament shaped like a whole ark's worth of creatures that, when imbued with a magical spell – that Harry found attached to the wrappings – let out a soothing song like phoenix music.

Thanking his brother for the gift, Harry smirked when he saw Draco open his gift, which was a book on Quidditch as well as a note telling Draco that, against their better wishes, Harry wasn't going to be trying out for the team next year.

"A King supports his team and leads them where necessary, Draco," Lucius told his son when he asked Harry why he'd done this.

From Rhydian, Harry found a set of brand new crystal vials for Potions and, to Harry's surprise, there was also a book on Healing Magic: as for Rhydian, he'd received a book on Forest Magic that Harry had asked Narcissa to acquire after reading about the talent in his brother's tests.

The rest of the Court seemed to have pooled together for their gift as Harry found a cloak made from purely-spun Acromantula Silk, the design on the cloak showing a fire-breathing Chimera surrounded by a nest of serpents, a gold-and-silver crown lying atop the Chimera's head.

"Thanks guys," whispered Harry, turning to the next gift, which was from Severus: inside, the Slytherin King found a black journal that, when he opened it, he was almost amused to find a familiar script written inside;

_This journal is the property of the NEW Half-Blood Prince_

"Severus copied his journal for you," Lucius whispered, "I knew you two had talked, but I never would have guessed…"

Harry just nodded before he turned to the last gifts: the first was an unusual one.

Inside this one, Harry found what looked like a single silver signet ring as well as a black robe that held a strange symbol: a triangle surrounding a circle with a single line through the centre.

Accompanying the ring and letter, there was a note;

_It's only befitting that the new Heir looks the part_

_We'll meet soon._

_A friend._

"Strange," whispered Harry, though the strange marking on the robe and the ring also had him amused and confused at the same time.

It was like he'd seen it somewhere before.

The final gift was also a cloak, but when Harry opened it, he was surprised to feel a warm, but dangerous pulse race through his body; thinking quickly, the Slytherin King threw the cloak from his body before he asked, "Father, can you check that one for spells, please?"

With a few deft flicks of his wand, Lucius turned before he told Harry, "Compulsion and Wrath spells, Harry: well done for ridding yourself of it before you became too enthralled by its power. Who's it from?"

Looking to the letter, Harry's eyes narrowed as he read an unfamiliar writing style;

_Your Father left this in my possession before he died; it is time that it was returned to you_

_Use it well_

"This is Dumbledore's writing!" Lucius hissed, then watching as Narcissa _carefully_ moved the cloak aside, which Lucius then noticed to attract a look of shock from his wife, "What is it, Cissy?"

"Lily told me about this," explained Narcissa, "It's James' Invisibility Cloak: it's been in the Potter Family for years: how did _he_ get his hands on it?"

"I don't know," Lucius admitted, looking to Harry with a questioning glance.

Almost as though he'd anticipated his adoptive Father's request, Harry nodded as he told Lucius, "Do what you have to, Dad."

Tousling Harry's dark hair, Lucius nodded before he explained, "I should be back for the ball: have fun, everyone."

Then, without another word, he secured the cloak and left for his business, leaving the rest of the group to finish unwrapping and enjoying the feel of their friendship and their gifts.

Harry, however, was still curious about the second-to-last gift:

Who was this _friend_ and what did he know about Harry?

_**Dark Shadows**_

The Malfoy Manor Winter Solstice Ball;

It was a bit of a mouthful, but as Harry stood at the side of the open ballroom floor, watching as many different people from different families and connections to the Malfoys enjoyed the music and social state of the party.

As their adoptive son, Harry had needed to play a part in meet and greets, but after so long, he'd just gone quietly to one corner of the room for a drink.

As Harry was about to help himself to a drink, he heard a rather dreamy voice speak from behind, "Lord Grindelwald, may I have this dance?"

Turning, and raising the drink to his lips, Harry sputtered and actually choked on his drink when he saw that the owner of the voice was a girl about the same age as him, maybe a few months younger, with ghostly white hair and almost silvery eyes. Her face and skin was as pale as a Malfoy and yet seemed to hold a graceful appearance to her face. She was dressed in a light-blue dress with a bird of some kind on the left side of her chest.

When Harry looked at this girl, she gave a graceful curtsey before asking again, "I just wondered if I could have the pleasure of dancing with the new Lord Grindelwald?"

"Certainly," Harry replied, offering the girl his arm, before he added, "By the way, its Harry to my friends."

"And yet you hardly know me," the girl told him, her musical tone making Harry feel both amused and intrigued by her, "My name's Luna Lovegood, nice to meet you Harry Potter."

Harry gave her a friendly smile before he moved to the dance floor, twisting, dipping and moving Luna as he had been taught by Narcissa and observed from others on the dance floor.

After the dance, Harry and Luna both went to get a drink before the young Slytherin asked, "I don't think I've seen you at school Luna: are you a first-year?"

"No," Luna replied, "I'm going to Hogwarts in September and I hope that I will see you there."

"With your grace," Harry told her, "And purity – he didn't know how she was pure, but he had this instinct – I can safely say that you'll be joining Draco, our friends and I in Slytherin."

"I certainly hope so," Luna replied, before she gave Harry a smile and added, "Thank you for the dance Harry, and don't worry, I know that you don't like people knowing you're Grindelwald's heir, so I won't say anything."

"Err…thanks," smiled Harry.

As he watched Luna leave his side, Harry shook his head and watched as Draco walked over to him, his face set in a smile of feigned respect.

"I swear Harry," he growled, helping himself to a drink, "If one more Ministry member shakes my hand, I'm going to scream!"

"Yeah," Harry nodded, finishing his own drink, before he asked, "Draco, have you heard of Luna Lovegood before?"

"Everyone has," Draco replied, "Apparently, her family are descendants from Morgana herself and hold purity equal to…well, ours: why?"

"Because," Harry replied, "I think she'll be perfect in Slytherin. She's quite a nice girl."

"If you say so," Draco reasoned, though he saw a look in Harry's eyes as he watched the girl fade back into the crowd; with a brotherly nudge to Harry's shoulder, Draco sniggered, "Oh look, Potter: you've got yourself a girlfriend." (2)

"Look who's talking," laughed Harry, returning the nudge while he and Draco made their way around the outside of the ballroom.

"What do you mean?" asked Draco, looking both amused and curious as he added, "I haven't got a girlfriend."

"Two words, brother," sniggered Harry, "Hermione and Granger."

Draco's face went as red as Gryffindor's colours, earning a laugh from Harry as they both enjoyed the remainder of the party…

**Chapter 14 and, yay, Luna is in the picture, but will Harry's prediction prove true?**

**Also, who is this friend and is there actually something going on between Draco and Hermione?**

**Keep Reading to Find Out**

**Next Chapter: Back to Hogwarts and Harry discovers another clue to his mysterious friend as the end of the year draws near; plus, Harry returns to his familiar where he finds a shocking discovery beneath the big puppy's paws and a mystery is solved as family reunites, but Harry cannot believe who it is!**

**Please Read and Review**

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **__**AN (1)**_

**The magic used to change Rhydian back into his old self; the scene was inspired by a regeneration scene in Doctor Who; all rights to the original creators: I don't know why I used that, it just seemed fun**

_**AN (2)**_

**This line, taken from CoS' movie, is one of Draco's funniest in my opinion and I've wanted to find a way to use it on him for some time: I don't know if it seemed appropriate, but it **_**was**_** funny;**

**OC SPELLS: All three are from my other story The Riddle Answered;**

_**Glamorie Reversi:**_** Undoes any effects of glamour charms or Polyjuice effects on a body, considered a Dark Spell;**

_**Conscius Enervate:**_** Removes any and all barriers that would be placed around a magical item; can also be used to release the magical power within a witch or wizard;**

_**Spiri-Retrorsum:**_** Undoes any physical damage to a body leaving the skin clean and unharmed; can be used to undo any mental damage or feelings of exile/isolation.**


	15. The Forbidden Corridor

Dark Shadows

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or any of its associated characters; all rights belong to JK Rowling; I do own any OC spells explained at the end of a chapter.

**Plot: **Seeing is Believing Challenge Response: Dark secrets, a new chance at a life he should have lived and shocking revelations concerning his family set Harry Potter on a path into the dark areas of magic, but, to him, there is no good and evil, there is only magic and those worthy to wield it.

**Added Note: **Now, since I _know_ that some people will either complain about repetitions of my old work, I'll just say it again: if you don't like it, then don't read it.

To quote advice from one of my good friends:

_**There is a HUGE difference between constructive criticism and someone who is being rude. I DO NOT like it when people do nothing but complain about my stories. If my story is not your cup of tea then do us both a favor and do not read it. To be ugly about each chapter and never say anything nice is not only annoying, but it is extremely rude. **_

_**I go out of my way to please my readers. I cannot please everyone. In the end, there is really only one person who needs to be pleased. That person would be me.**_

**Dedication: **I'd like to dedicate this story to everyone that's been on that very rocky road with me throughout the year and helped keep my spirits up with all my stories; my recommended reads are _A Familiar's Intuition_ by Dragonsrule18, _Silver Tongue_ by Shadow Hidden By The Moon and _Rewind of Time_ by StormyFireDragon: three amazing stories, the first of which inspired the challenge and this story, so an added thanks to _Dragonsrule18_ for that.

**Key Pairing: **Eventual Harry/Tracey; Eventual Draco/Hermione; Neville/Daphne;

**Other Pairings: **Lucius/Narcissa; Eventual Blaise/Luna; Mentions of Lily/James

Normal Speech

'Thought'

/_Parseltongue_/

**Review Answers:**

**NathanHale2: Patience, friend: there's a long way to go yet;**

**StormyFireDragon: Well thanks, Storm: I hope you enjoy the shocks and surprises that are coming;**

**Gefan1: They **_**are**_** removed; it's why he's so strong with his magic;**

**EndlessChains: Early days yet, my friend;**

**Daithi4377: I've got a plan for the Hallows that will be revealed with this chapter, so enjoy;**

**Winged Seer Wolf: In another story, that idea would actually be beneficial, my friend;**

**WhiteElfElder: Maybe, but I think you're forgetting one thing: he already has the wand from the beginning;**

**Dragonsrule18: I don't know, my friend: I'm glad you're enjoying the story and, again, thanks for inspiring the challenge;**

**ALSO: Apologies to everyone for the moment of confusion last time: I'm keeping the pairing as Harry/Tracey;**

"_Oh look, Potter: you've got yourself a girlfriend."_

"_Look who's talking," laughed Harry, returning the nudge while he and Draco made their way around the outside of the ballroom._

"_What do you mean?" asked Draco, looking both amused and curious as he added, "I haven't got a girlfriend."_

"_Two words, brother," sniggered Harry, "Hermione and Granger."_

_Draco's face went as red as Gryffindor's colours, earning a laugh from Harry as they both enjoyed the remainder of the party…_

Chapter 15: The Forbidden Corridor

Even though the wintertime had, much like its summery counterpart, been one of the best times of his life in recent memory, Harry found it hard to deny that he was glad to be back at Hogwarts. For one thing, with him back in the picture, it meant that the Court could reunite and share their stories of the new and improved friendships between them.

Another advantage, one that Harry took an enormous amount of pleasure in watching unfold, was when people began to notice Rhydian's new appearance and found themselves uneasy. The best reaction of the term came from Dumbledore who, one week after the kids' return to Hogwarts, asked for Rhydian to meet him in his office.

However, just like last time, Harry got there first and ensured that Narcissa escorted his blood-brother, much to Dumbledore's displeasure: when Rhydian then went on to tell Dumbledore that Neville Longbottom was nothing more than a lie, it was the icing on the cake for Harry's year.

He'd have emptied his entire vault in Gringotts to have gotten the look on the old man's face cast in bronze: still, aside from the pleasure and fun of the start of the term, the new start also meant a countdown for the students.

A countdown to the annual Hogwarts end-of-year exams.

Within the Court, the gang were restless, but they managed to work together pretty well in the run up to the end of year exams: in lessons where the Slytherins and the Ravenclaws were together, Harry and Daphne had started to pair with Rhydian and Tracey so that the gang stayed together no matter what. When one of the Ravenclaws, a particularly vainglorious girl named Marietta Edgecombe, then decided to argue that Rhydian was betraying them by siding with Death Eaters and liars, she was given a fairly nasty punishment by the Ravenclaw Queen, Penelope Clearwater, before she was then told to stay out of matters that didn't concern her.

Outside lessons, the six friends stayed together as much as possible and, as spring started to bloom at Hogwarts with the exams drawing ever closer, it wasn't all that hard to see them apart. As honorary Slytherins and friends of the King, it was often a case that Tracey and Rhydian also spent time in the Slytherin dormitories with their friends and, on the _one_ occasion that someone had made a complaint about it – Theo Nott, _again_ – he'd been shot down by his older sister as she asked him to remember who the king was around here.

In March, after one _long_ week of lessons and reminders that the exams were coming up, Harry returned to his dorm in Slytherin where, without a word to any of his friends or allies in the snake pit, he slumped down onto his bed and pulled out his family's Grimoire. He wasn't really studying anything, but ever since the letter he'd read back at home, Harry had been curious about his Mother's apparent brother as well as this _friend_ who had sent him the robe and ring.

His cloak was still with Lucius and being investigated for how it could have escaped the attention of Gringotts that it was missing from the Potter Family Vault, but in the meantime, Harry had the ring and robe to distract his attention.

In particular, there was that mysterious symbol and what it could have possibly meant, not to mention what the note accompanying the gift had said about _the new Heir looking the part_.

Was there someone other than Pansy Parkinson and the Court that knew he was Grindelwald's Heir?

If so, were they friend or foe?

As he twirled the ring in between his fingers like he was juggling a penny between his fingertips, Harry sat upright and, grabbing a quill from his pack, he dipped it in ink before he opened the Grimoire to a blank page at the back of the book. In recent weeks, the young Slytherin King had learned that if he wrote or described what he was looking for, the ink would fade into the pages before the magic of the book would show him what he needed to know.

This time, Harry drew the symbol from the ring very carefully: the triangle with the circle held within its shape, the single vertical line running from the apex to the base of the triangle.

Next to the symbol, Harry put a question mark as though asking _what is this?_

Once again, the book's magic seemed to answer him as it turned through its pages before, stopping close to the centre of the Grimoire, the pages seemed to ripple like water before words appeared on the page:

_**THE STORY OF THE DEATHLY HALLOWS**_

_There were once three brothers who were traveling along a lonely, winding road at twilight. In time, the brothers reached a river too deep to wade through and too dangerous to swim across.. However, these brothers were learned in the magical arts, and so they simply waved their wands and made a bridge appear across the treacherous water. They were halfway across it when they found their path blocked by a hooded figure._

_And Death spoke to them. He was angry that he had been cheated out of three new victims, for travellers usually drowned in the river. But Death was cunning. He pretended to congratulate the three brothers upon their magic and said that each had earned a prize for having been clever enough to evade him._

_So the oldest brother, who was a combative man, asked for a wand more powerful than any in existence: a wand that must always win duels for its owner, a wand worthy of a wizard who had conquered Death! So Death crossed to an elder tree on the banks of the river, fashioned a wand from a branch that hung there, and gave it to the oldest brother._

_Then the second brother, who was an arrogant man, decided that he wanted to humiliate Death still further, and asked for the power to recall others from Death. So Death picked up a stone from the riverbank and gave it to the second brother, and told him that the stone would have the power to bring back the dead._

_And then Death asked the third and youngest brother what he would like. The youngest brother was the humblest and also the wisest of the brothers, and he did not trust Death. So he asked for something that would enable him to go forth from that place without being followed by Death. And death, most unwillingly, handed over his own Cloak of Invisibility._

_Then Death stood aside and allowed the three brothers to continue on their way, and they did so, talking with wonder of the adventure they had had, and admiring Death's gifts. In due course the brothers separated, each for his own destination._

_The first brother travelled on for a week or more, and reaching a distant village, sought out a fellow wizard with whom he had a quarrel. Naturally with the Elder Wand as his weapon, he could not fail to win the duel that followed. _

_Leaving his enemy dead upon the floor, the oldest brother proceeded to an inn, where he boasted loudly of the powerful wand he had snatched from Death himself, and of how it made him invincible._

_That very night, another wizard crept upon the oldest brother as he lay, wine-sodden, upon his bed. The thief took the wand and, for good measure, slit the oldest brother's throat._

_And so Death took the first brother for his own._

_Meanwhile, the second brother journeyed to his own home, where he lived alone. Here he took out the stone that had the power to recall the dead, and turned it thrice in his hand. To his amazement and his delight, the figure of the girl he had once hoped to marry, before her untimely death, appeared at once before him._

_Yet she was sad and cold, separated from him as by a veil. Though she had returned to the mortal world, she did not truly belong there and suffered. Finally the second brother, driven mad with hopeless longing, killed himself so as truly to join her._

_And so Death took the second brother for his own._

_But though Death searched for the third brother for many years, he was never able to find him. It was only when he had attained a great age that the youngest brother finally took off the Cloak of Invisibility and gave it to his son. _

_And then he greeted Death as an old friend, and went with him gladly, and, equals, they departed this life._

Beneath the writing, Harry saw the three shapes from the symbol being printed underneath the strange story: next to the straight line was written the words:

_**The Elder Wand**_

Next to the circle were the words:

_**The Resurrection Stone**_

And finally, next to the triangle were the words:

_**The Invisibility Cloak**_

As Harry watched, the three images combined together to form that same symbol before the writing returned as it told him:

_**These three items combined make one the Master of Death!**_

'Master of Death?' thought Harry, watching as the information remained on the page, though nothing else was printed, 'What does this have to do with me? And…even so, what does this _friend_ of mine know about the symbol?'

Just when he thought he had the answers, Harry instead found more and more questions.

Questions that he was now more than determined to have answered, no matter what he had to do.

_**Dark Shadows**_

As the exams came around, the doubts and concerns of the Court were soon replaced by a sense of stress and insecurity: these exams told them everything they had learned over the year and also showed whether or not they were ready to proceed.

While others did many different things to try and get over the stress, Harry went down a different path and, instead of relaxing out in the sunshine like most others, he instead chose to head for the third floor corridor, a part of him knowing all too well that no-one would follow him in there.

Opening the door and slipping inside without a concern, Harry stroked Helios warmly as he licked the young sorcerer in greeting before setting himself down so that his master could sit between his giant paws. Resting his head against the soft fur of the Cerberus, Harry petted one of his three heads softly as he spoke to his Night Bonded.

"I'm sorry I haven't been around to see you more, Helios," he whispered softly, letting the soft growls of the beast soothe his nerves concerning the exams: even though they were almost over, Harry still had the same stressful moments as anyone else.

'_You have nothing to be sorry for, my master,_' the warm voice of the beast told him, giving Harry a soft lick on his cheek as he added, '_I am pleased to see you growing stronger and know that, soon, we will be able to leave this place together. At least…that is if the intruder does not slay me first._'

At this, Harry sat up straight, his green eyes flashing dangerously as he looked up at his familiar before he asked, "What intruder?"

'_A human,_' answered Helios, '_One that does not _smell_ like a human, but he has come here several times: he does not seem threatening, but he has grown desperate of my actions as of late._'

"How desperate?" asked Harry, lifting himself up as he looked at his familiar, "Has he…has he hurt you?"

'_No,_' answered Helios, '_Something seems to stop him when he moves to do so, but I cannot believe that he would not do this if he chose to hurt me. I can only believe that he is after that which the old goat-man of this den wishes me to protect._'

"Old…you mean the Headmaster?" asked Harry, earning a nod from his familiar, "What is it? What does he want you to protect?"

'_A treasure,_' answered Helios: as he said the words, Harry's mind suddenly flashed to the grubby little package from Gringotts: gods above, how long ago was _that?_

It seemed like something from a whole other lifetime!

He had promised the goblin leader that he wouldn't speak of the contents of that vault with anyone, but, now that he was here and hearing that someone was coming after it, Harry felt like he had to break that promise.

Unless…unless he did something about it.

Something that would get him in trouble with his new parents, he knew this: but it was better than losing his familiar and, possibly, affecting his powers.

"Helios," Harry remarked, apparently having made his decision, "I need you to do something for me…"

_**Dark Shadows**_

At long last, the exam period came to a close and, for the Court, it was a great weight off their shoulders;

To celebrate this fact, they all agreed to meet by the edge of the Black Lake and just lounge, giving an appearance of normal, content children without a care in the world. As always seemed to be the case nowadays, Harry took a spot at the head of the group, or at least in a position where the others could see him and be there for him if anything happened.

Sat on the bank of the lake as he was, his arms resting behind him while his legs stretched out towards the water's edge, Harry heaved a sigh before he asked the others, "So…anyone have any doubts about how they did in there?"

"Severus could have done something other than breathe down our necks like that," laughed Rhydian, earning a snigger from the others as he added, "I actually thought I was going to suffocate from his pressurising presence and those fumes: how does anyone breathe in that room?"

"Ventilation Charm," answered Harry, earning looks from the others before he explained, "Severus told me about them: it's how nobody has fainting fits in normal lessons. Though you can cast it yourself and make sure you're okay, at least: the incantation is _Aeriola_ and you sort of _sweep_ your wand like you're drawing a fan."

Here, he then used the Elder Wand to demonstrate the motion and the spell: when the others felt the tell-tale rush of fresh air, Harry then added, "Once you have that done, you can breathe easily no matter where you are. Apparently, St Mungo's psychiatrists use it to help claustrophobia sufferers get over their fears."

"How do you always know what to say, Harry?" asked Hermione, earning a rue shrug from Harry as he faced her.

"It's a gift," he sniggered, earning a roll of the eyes from Draco as he then added, "I've just lost the receipt, so I'm stuck with it."

The second remark earned him a chorus of laughs from his friends as they enjoyed their time together on the shoreline…

_**Dark Shadows**_

Later that night, as Harry changed into his nightclothes, ready to call it a night, he felt a sudden iciness spread through his body;

As he straightened up from gathering his pyjamas, the eyes of the Slytherin King narrowed as he knew that there was only one reason that he'd feel this sensation.

The intruder that Helios had warned him about had gone down underneath the Cerberus' paws after whatever treasure he was guarding.

'I gave my word I wouldn't tell,' thought Harry, replacing his nightclothes for something less constricting and sleepwear-like, 'I can't break it now…but how do I get out of here without alerting anyone?'

As he thought about it, Harry noticed the shadows of his dormitory rippling softly, their darkness looking as comfortable as most places usually did when they were steeped in shadows. As he looked, the young Slytherin thought about the theory that had run through his mind: he hadn't really tested any sort of connection to his Veiling power throughout the year, but he _had_ used the shadows to find someone in danger.

Could he risk it now?

Knowing that the others would probably try and stop him or somehow force themselves to get involved, Harry knew that the answer was yes: he didn't really care about what Lucius or Narcissa would say about this. If it meant getting answers to questions that plagued him all year, then he was going to risk it.

Yeah, they'd be disappointed, but at least they wouldn't do anything to hurt him…not like _others_ he could think of.

Moving towards the shadowed spot of his room, Harry took a deep breath and, extending his left hand, he felt something like spider's webs crawling over his skin as his hand passed into the Spectral Realm. Slowly, but surely, the rest of Harry's body followed, the spider-web-like feeling now covering him like a shower of pins and needles that, instead of discomfort, felt rather soothing.

Soon, Harry was completely enveloped by the Spectral Realm and, as he peered around it, the young Nethermancer let his mind focus on the bond with his familiar.

As swift and as silent as the shadows that he had become one with, Harry reached the third-floor corridor in mere moments, his body then stepping out of the shadows where he found a harp playing next to Helios' sleeping form.

Smiling softly, Harry stroked his familiar's heads before he looked to where a trapdoor had been opened: drawing the Elder Wand – which Harry had actually realised to be _the_ Elder Wand, which surprised him – he fired off two bursts of flame into the chamber beneath. A loud, shrill scream seemed to rise up from the chamber below and, with care and precision, Harry managed to move on, touching a ground that felt soft, but soggy, almost like some sort of plant-thing had been here.

"Sorry," he whispered to the thing that had been there, "But I can't let anything stop me now."

_**Dark Shadows**_

Back in the Slytherin Dormitory, Draco Malfoy stood alone in the doorway to his dorm room, his eyes filled with a whole range of emotions as he looked at the spot where, just moments ago, he had seen his little brother's body fade away into the darkness.

"Oh Harry," Draco sighed, knowing that Harry wasn't just toying with his gifts, "What have you done?"

Without a word, Draco turned and ran for the entrance to the House Common Room, a part of him hoping that he wasn't too late.

_**Dark Shadows**_

"Checkmate!"

With a gasp, Harry watched as the White King threw down his crown and sword at the feet of the Black Knight that Harry had replaced; looking to where the White Queen had been deceived into taking another place, Harry sniggered as he whispered, "Mental note: thank Blaise for those lessons on wizard's chess…now, what's next?"

Passing through the door that had been protected by the white pieces, Harry entered a chamber that seemed to descend downwards to a single area where, in the middle of the floor, the young Slytherin was both curious and surprised to see a golden-framed mirror set up, the surprise he felt coming from the fact that a familiar figure was standing before the mirror.

"Good evening, Harry," Professor Quirrell remarked, once again speaking with that lack of stammer to his voice as he explained, "At the risk of sounding clichéd, I've been expecting you."

"What's going on, Professor?" asked Harry, fingering the Elder Wand in case of attacks from the man: thanks to his family's Grimoire, Harry had quite the arsenal of offensive spells if he needed to use them.

He didn't want to, of course: the man had been generous and even supportive of him, but that didn't mean he was just going to step aside.

"I would have thought you had figured it out, dear snake-ling," answered Quirrell, his gaze lingering on Harry as he spoke, "I've so enjoyed watching you grow up this past year. Having to watch from the side-lines, little more than an observer: it's enough to drive someone insane."

"What do you mean?" asked Harry, his eyes now on the mirror as he asked, "What is this thing?"

"It's known as the Mirror of Erised," answered Quirrell, then holding up a hand and, in the mirror, his reflection beckoned to Harry as he told him, "It's all right, young lord: I have no reason to harm you. After all, we both have something in common…or should that be…some_one._"

"W-What?" asked Harry, though he _did_ inch closer to Quirrell as he asked, "What…what do you know about me?"

"Well," answered Quirrell, "I know that you know you're Grindelwald's Heir and that you have some impressive power under your belt: I know you've gathered your own little circle of friends that will undoubtedly follow you and serve you well until the end of time itself. I know you have helped Mr Black realise his true potential and release the Lestrange that he is from within the _thing_ that they made him out to be. Oh, and I also know that you know about the significance of your wand and, perhaps, your Father's Cloak: am I not right, my little Master of Death?"

Harry's eyes widened as Quirrell returned his attention to the mirror before he added, "Now here you are: no doubt you likely came here to stop me, but, if you did that, then you would lose out on the biggest thing you could _ever_ get back."

"What?" asked Harry, his eyes boring into Quirrell's skull as he asked, "What could you possibly give me that I've lost?"

"How about…" Quirrell began, seemingly looking thoughtful as he added in a cold, confident tone, "Your Mother, Lilian Grindelwald, back from the hell _they_ condemned her to?"

Harry nearly fell forwards as he tripped on a step, but he managed to right himself as he hissed, "You…you're lying! No magic can resurrect the dead!"

"Ah-ha," Quirrell replied, his eyes seemingly flashing a dangerous shade of red as he told Harry, "But I never said she was dead now, did I?"

Now Harry did feel shocked; however, as he watched, he was then aware of another voice, this one also cold, but no less warm-toned as it spoke from somewhere he couldn't see.

"That's enough, Quirinus: let _me_ speak to him."

"Yes Master, of course," Quirrell replied, turning to face Harry before, to the boy's bemusement, the man began to unfurl his turban like he was unravelling a mummy's bandages. As Harry remained rooted to the spot, unable to move or make any attempt to escape, Quirrell met his eyes before he told him, "You may not like what you're about to see, my lord…"

Then, with a slow, but careful gesture, Quirrell removed his turban and, when he did, Harry very nearly threw up in shock and disbelief: a face was on the back of Quirrell's head!

Pale-skinned and with eyes and a nose that made Harry think of a snake, the face on the back of Quirrell's head seemed to stretch its skin outwards before he looked at Harry with those eerie eyes, which the young Slytherin then noticed to be a cold shade of red.

"Harry," hissed the other face, a tone of strange comfort in his voice as he spoke, "At last we meet…face-to-face…my little snake: you look well."

With wide eyes, Harry actually seemed to recognise the face, the voice and the sense of fear that clutched at his heart: there was only _one_ force in the world that could do it.

"Voldemort!"

"Call me Tom," replied the other face, his eyes looking at Harry as he added, "Of course, if you want, you may also call me…Uncle."

"What?" asked Harry, shocked beyond all reasons as he asked, "What are you…"

His words seemed to fail him as he then remembered something: a note in a letter…

_**You Are Not Alone with our blood.**_

_**Find the one I thought I lost and the truth shall be known to you.**_

_**If there's anyone other than your godparents whom I trust to help you become the bright little dark wizard you're destined to be, it's my brother.**_

_**Once you find him, the rest is yours to do as you please.**_

"No…" gasped Harry, pointing his wand now at the image in the mirror, "Not…not you…it can't be…it's _impossible!_"

"No, my dear nephew," replied Tom/Voldemort, his voice edged by raw sorrow and emotional understanding as he told Harry, "It's the truth…I am Tom Marvolo Riddle, but I was born Thomas Lucifer Grindelwald…son of Gellert…brother…of Lilian!"

Harry shook his head as he hissed, "No! You're lying!"

"No, Harry," a new voice replied, making Harry's head turn before his eyes widened, "He's not…"

With trembling hands, Harry pointed his wand at the newcomer before he asked, "How can…how are _you_ here?"

"Because, my little one," replied a pale, ghostly-coloured shadow that, in every way, shape and form, looked like Lily Potter, "Even in death, there are powers of our blood that can allow us to survive…hello Tom: nice to see you again."

"If only it were in better circumstances, baby sister," replied Tom, his eyes looking to Harry as he added, "Now, Harry…now do you believe me?"

Harry looked between the pale shadow of his Mother and the deformed creature of his…of the Dark Lord: he didn't know what to say, what to do, what to believe.

All that he knew was that he wasn't going anywhere now…not without the answers promised to him.

With a sigh of defeat that seemed to say more than words could, Harry looked again to the Dark Lord before, bowing his head so that neither figure could see his tears, he asked, "What do you want me to do?"

"Harry…" Lily sighed, extending a hand to her son, but as she did so, she saw Harry step away from her and closer to the mirror.

"I don't want to be alone anymore," Harry explained to Tom, looking now to the mirror as he asked, "So…tell me what to do…_Uncle_? I…I'll do anything you say."

Tom smiled softly, before he used his control over his host to place a hand on Harry's shoulder as he indicated the mirror;

"Thank you, Harry…I promise, if it's the last thing I do, I'll make this up to you…you won't be alone ever again: now, listen carefully…"

**Chapter 15 and the truth is revealed: Tom is Lily's brother, Lily is, apparently, able to be brought back and Harry has chosen his path: how will this affect everyone around him, including Harry himself?**

**Also, if Tom killed Lily, how is she so warm towards him? What is the truth and what are the lies?**

**Keep Reading to Find Out**

**Next Chapter: Harry returns home defeated and changed, but a surprise awaits him as a long-overdue truth is revealed; also, our young Nethermancer learns more about himself as he is shown a path that is now his to take…**

**Please Read and Review**

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: The truth**_

**Phew, so I'm glad this one is done: now, I know some of you probably saw this coming, but I couldn't help but enjoy the idea of Tom and Lily as relations while our favourite Dark Lord was also the son of another, which, to use a term infamous on FFN, would sort of make Harry Twice-Blessed by darkness, wouldn't you agree? (Don't answer that)**

_**AN2: The Chambers**_

**Okay, so I mirrored the movie scene with the forbidden corridor instead of going by the books as I felt it was a bit too repetitive to do the same thing over and over again; I also hope you all enjoyed the revelation of the Hallows;**


	16. The Dark is Rising

Dark Shadows

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or any of its associated characters; all rights belong to JK Rowling; I do own any OC spells explained at the end of a chapter.

**Plot: **Seeing is Believing Challenge Response: Dark secrets, a new chance at a life he should have lived and shocking revelations concerning his family set Harry Potter on a path into the dark areas of magic, but, to him, there is no good and evil, there is only magic and those worthy to wield it.

**Added Note: **Now, since I _know_ that some people will either complain about repetitions of my old work, I'll just say it again: if you don't like it, then don't read it.

To quote advice from one of my good friends:

_**There is a HUGE difference between constructive criticism and someone who is being rude. I DO NOT like it when people do nothing but complain about my stories. If my story is not your cup of tea then do us both a favor and do not read it. To be ugly about each chapter and never say anything nice is not only annoying, but it is extremely rude. **_

_**I go out of my way to please my readers. I cannot please everyone. In the end, there is really only one person who needs to be pleased. That person would be me.**_

**Dedication: **I'd like to dedicate this story to everyone that's been on that very rocky road with me throughout the year and helped keep my spirits up with all my stories; my recommended reads are _A Familiar's Intuition_ by Dragonsrule18, _Silver Tongue_ by Shadow Hidden By The Moon and _Rewind of Time_ by StormyFireDragon: three amazing stories, the first of which inspired the challenge and this story, so an added thanks to _Dragonsrule18_ for that.

**Key Pairing: **Eventual Harry/Tracey; Eventual Draco/Hermione; Rhydian/Daphne;

**Other Pairings: **Lucius/Narcissa; Eventual Blaise/Luna; Mentions of Lily/James

Normal Speech

'Thought'

/_Parseltongue_/

**Review Answers:**

**StormyFireDragon: Come on, Storm: you sound surprised by what I'm doing: and again, I point out that this is nothing compared to the Master of Cliffhangers…that's you, by the way;**

**WhiteElfElder: One of those is right, but I hope you enjoy this chapter that explains it all;**

**EndlessChains: Well conflict is something I'm fairly good at, though I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter;**

"_So…tell me what to do…Uncle? I…I'll do anything you say."_

_Tom smiled softly, before he used his control over his host to place a hand on Harry's shoulder as he indicated the mirror;_

"_Thank you, Harry…I promise, if it's the last thing I do, I'll make this up to you…you won't be alone ever again: now, listen carefully…"_

Chapter 16: The Dark Is Rising

By the time that Draco caught up with his blood-brother, accompanied by Severus and, to his surprise, Rhydian, the Malfoy Heir saw only a fragment of his brother's strength showing through as they found him kneeling before a large number of broken shards. Lifting his eyes to the frame that loomed over Harry, Draco noticed that the shards had come from the space within the frame, which, at another time, would have probably been some sort of mirror.

"Harry?" asked Severus, earning a look from the Slytherin King that sent chills down the spines of Draco and Rhydian.

"Severus…" Harry replied, slowly getting to his feet; as he did so, however, the strain of…whatever he had been doing caught up with him and, with a single gasp, Harry fell into Severus' arms.

At the same time, Draco walked towards the mirror frame before he lifted one of the small shards of glass; peering into it, the Malfoy Heir saw only darkness.

"What do you think happened down here?" asked Rhydian, earning a shake of the head from Draco.

"Only one person can answer that, Rhydian," answered Draco, letting the shard fall to the floor once again as he told his brother, "But you'd be a braver man than I if you asked him when he's like this."

With a sigh, Rhydian turned on his heel and went to leave; as he did so, however, the Lestrange Heir stopped and, turning his head, he seemed to concentrate on something that couldn't be seen.

Next to him, Draco looked around with him as he asked, "What?"

"Can't you feel that?" asked Rhydian, extending his hand to his brother; when Draco took the hand, he gasped as he felt it: magic!

Raw, untapped, untamed and uncontrolled forces of magic had been used in this room, though there was nothing to suggest any sort of damage or pain. Instead, there was only the darkness around them and, as Draco and Rhydian both looked around, they both asked it as they then followed Severus and an unconscious Harry out of the corridor.

'What happened here?'

_**Dark Shadows**_

As Draco – and, though he didn't know it, Harry too – had guessed, barely a day had passed before his and Harry's parents were at Hogwarts, Narcissa remaining close to her little dark-haired child while Lucius kept a certain old man at bay. Harry, through apparent magical exhaustion according to Madam Pomfrey, was 'grounded' to the Hospital Wing for a couple of days rest, but when Lucius inspected the apparently-forbidden corridor and found the challenges in the way, he countered her decision and explained that Harry was returning home for the remainder of the term and, to ensure their safety, Draco and Rhydian would be with him.

When Dumbledore, who had _coincidentally_ returned from some important business when Harry had taken care of business, heard this, he tried to intervene, but was shot down as Narcissa reminded him of Harry's iron-clad guardianship. Add to that the fact that Draco was her son and Rhydian was a ward of the Blacks and it made for some pretty immovable arguments in the case of the Malfoy matriarch.

When the rest of the Court heard about Harry's early removal from Hogwarts, they were kept safe and secure by the older-years of Slytherin, though Severus also promised that he would keep them away from _certain_ parties as well.

Now, back in the familiarly-warm confines of Malfoy Manor, Harry breathed deeply as he was helped to a chair in the lounge and, as Narcissa sat him down and made him comfortable, she went from concerned parental figure to suspicious figure of authority as she asked, "What were you doing, Harry? You knew we wanted you to stay out of his business, so why would you do this?"

"I'm sorry, Narcissa," replied Harry coolly, earning a wide-eyed look from Narcissa as he added, "But I couldn't let things get worse for the school: plus, my familiar informed me of an intruder on the premises and, as such, I told him to call on me when they came back."

"And who is the intruder, son?" asked Lucius, looking to his wife as he too wondered what could have happened for Harry to stop calling them Mum and Dad.

Looking over to his honorary father figure, Harry sighed before he told Lucius, "I think you more than anyone knows the answer to that question, Lucius. Also, before you ask, my familiar is named Helios and he's been following us all this time."

"He has?" asked Draco, looking around as he asked, "Where is he?"

The words were no sooner out of his mouth before, to Draco's surprise, three large black-furred Alsatian-like dogs emerged from the shadows, all three of them moving to surround Harry protectively.

While there were several looks of shock from the other members of the room, Harry stroked all three dogs before he asked, "So…how long have you been able to do this, my friend?"

'_We have always been triplets in bond, Master,_' explained Helios, though Harry could tell that his voice was talking from the hound closest to him, '_By combining our magic, we take the form of the Cerberus, but in this form, we are Grim Hounds, Hellhounds to those who know us._'

"And are you all called Helios?" asked Harry, earning a shake of the head from the dogs.

The one closest to him explained, '_I am Helios; my brother at your left-hand side is Castor and the other on your right is Pollux: we take my name in our combined form due to the strength between us._'

'_And the fact that Helios is the eldest of us as he was born first,_' added Castor, his voice sounding as cold and gruff as Helios, though there was a hint of youth to it.

'_We are all yours to command, Master,_' Pollux remarked, his tone slightly less-gruff than his brothers, though still holding that icy edge.

"Wow," whispered Harry, looking to his own brothers before, with a soft smile, he then asked the three, "Would two of you mind if I asked you to bond with Draco and Rhydian? It's just that we're brothers as well…magically-speaking, anyway."

'_I will bond with the reborn one,_' Castor told him, moving over to where Rhydian was watching with an air of disbelief.

'_I shall bond with the one named for the Great Beasts,_' Pollux then added, moving to Draco where, together with Castor, they both bit deep into the hands of their new masters. When Draco and Rhydian went to complain, they both gasped as they felt new magic rise up in them, leaving Harry with Helios, who just lay down faithfully at his master's heels.

"Harry," Draco gasped, noticing the wound on his hand healing as he asked, "What…what did they just do?"

"Helios was three beasts in one," Harry explained, indicating the two hounds next to his brothers as he told them, "Castor and Pollux, which is a coincidental name as they're the stars that make up Gemini, but anyway, they bonded to you while the real Helios is mine. Since we're a Trinity, I thought it would make us even more equal even though we've not really explored our bond yet."

"Thanks, Harry," Rhydian laughed, stroking Castor's fur as he then asked, "So…are you going to tell us, then? Who _was_ the intruder?"

"It was Lord Voldemort," answered Harry, earning gasps from the other members of the room as he then looked to Lucius and Narcissa as he added, "But…but there's more: the world knows him as Voldemort, but…his real name is Thomas Grindelwald!"

"Grindelwald?" asked Narcissa, her eyes wide as the Knut dropped, "But…that would make him…"

"My Uncle," answered Harry, "And Mum's brother: now, personally, I'm not really sure as to how since Grandfather was defeated in 1945 while Mum attended Hogwarts much later than that."

"Yes," Lucius nodded softly, his tone edged by a sense of inevitability as he told Harry, "Ten years later, in fact: you see, Harry, your Mother was born the year before Gellert Grindelwald fell to Dumbledore…or so the story goes, anyway. As for…the Dark Lord…"

"Lucius!" Narcissa exclaimed, looking to her husband as she asked, "You…you _knew_ this?"

"Yes," Lucius answered, looking now to Harry as he added, "And I have done ever since the night Lilian died: I know you have questions, Harry, and you're right with the thought that I sensed the power of the Dark Lord rising, but…before that ill-fated night, I knew only that the Dark Lord had a secret; something he'd never told anyone. The one time that I asked him about it, he told me that it wasn't the right time to know, but…"

"When the time came," another voice, this one soft, but oily and edged by dark malice, remarked from the door to the lounge, "I would entrust you with my darkest secret, would I not, Lucius?"

Turning to the door, Lucius' eyes widened while Draco went whiter than his hair and Rhydian just gulped: standing there was a pale-skinned, dark-haired young man that seemed to be in his late-thirties, his eyes a piercing shade of dark-brown that, in the wrong light, could be mistaken for red. He was dressed in a long black robe that seemed to fold around him like the shadows themselves and, as he walked into the room, the other occupants were then aware of the long, emerald-green python at the man's side.

"M-M-M-My Lord?" asked Lucius, taking a step back in fear as the man approached the chair where Harry was seated.

"Do not be afraid, Lucius," the man drawled, his eyes on the pale-faced Malfoy Lord as he told him, "And do not stand on ceremony here: this is not business…hello again, Harry."

"Uncle," Harry replied calmly, looking the man up and down as he asked, "Did…did it work?"

"It did," replied the now-clearly-alive form of Tom Riddle, his face showing a soft, but content smile as he explained, "And I thank you for the part you played, nephew. Now, since we're all here, there are parts of the story that deserve to be told in greater detail, wouldn't you agree, my dear?"

Then, as Harry and the rest of the group watched, the door opened again and, from the other side, a second pale-skinned figure walked in: the newcomer was a young woman who looked to be the same age as Tom, though she carried herself with strength. Her hair was as black as night, but like Narcissa's, the woman had streaks of blood red across her fringe that made it look like flames of darkness rose from her head. Her eyes were a dark shade of emerald-green that looked cold and calculating, though as they looked at Harry, the young woman's green eyes softened as she crossed the room in four strides and wrapped her arms around the young man.

To the disbelief of the other adults as well as Draco and Rhydian, Harry then closed his eyes before he wept softly into the woman's embrace, her voice, which was as soft as crystals being chimed, soothing him as she whispered, "Sshhh, it's all right, sweetheart: I'm here now…everything's going to be okay now. No-one's going to take us apart again, I promise."

"L-L-Lily?" asked Narcissa, now as disbelieving as her husband as she looked to her old friend.

Turning her head in the direction of the Malfoy matriarch, Lilian Grindelwald smiled softly as she replied, "Yes, Cissy, it's me: and I want to thank you for taking such great care of my little one."

"But…how is this possible?" asked Lucius, looking back to Tom as the Dark Lord took his seat near the fireplace and also near to Harry, who didn't move from his Mother's side. "I…we…everyone who was there saw…we saw her die."

"No, Luc," Lily replied, using her magic to extend the chair that Harry was sat on; taking a seat next to her child, Lily gently toyed with Harry's dark hair as she explained, "You saw only what Tom and I agreed we _wanted_ you to see: as a Nethermancer, there is a gift that is both risky, but the benefits can promise fun and games for those who underestimate us."

"What gift?" asked Draco, earning a look from Lily that had him shrinking back.

"Nice to see you again, Draco," Lily reasoned, giving both the Malfoy and Lestrange boys a curt nod as she added, "And it's wonderful to meet the _real_ Rhydian at last. Before you all ask, I've known about little Rhydian ever since James and I blood-bonded him and Harry together; magic doesn't lie, though pretenders do!"

"You knew and you still let it happen?" asked Rhydian, earning a soft nod from Lily as he asked, "Why? I mean, the three of us have been trying to figure it out all year, but we still don't get it: why do this to us?"

"Because of who you all are," Tom explained, picking up the slack as he told them, "Individually, you are special enough: you, Rhydian Lestrange, because of how you are related to Bellatrix, who is my right-hand; you, Draco, because of the same scenario with Lucius, who is my left-hand and, finally, you, Harry, because of how _we_ are related."

"But together," Lily then continued, noticing Harry becoming calm once again as she soothed him, "You are far more powerful than any force of dark magic before you: yes, Draco," she added as the Malfoy Heir opened his mouth to ask a question. "Yes, this does make you a Trinity, but it makes you more than that: combined through Harry, grandson of one Dark Lord and nephew of another as well as my son, you three are more powerful than you may think."

"Rhydian and Harry _do_ have special powers," Draco reasoned, earning a snigger from Tom.

"As do you, little dragon," Tom explained, now indicating the hellhound at Draco's heels as he told him, "Harry's decision to bond his friend with you and Rhydian has done more than proven how serious he is about all this. He has also lit the fuse that burns bright within the three of you: in due time, powers will reveal themselves to you as they have done for Harry and Rhydian. Of course, if you want to get the drop on them, as Muggles say, you can do like them and take a test."

"Later," Lucius remarked, seeing his son turn his head towards his parents, "However, we still haven't had our question asked: what is this gift and what happened that night?"

"You should be more careful how you address me, Lucius," Tom hissed, his eyes flashing red as he told the Malfoy Lord, "Revived or not, I am still your lord and the fact remains that you have long-ignored the signs of my comeback. Our faithful rot in Azkaban while you live a life of luxury: the only reason that I do not Crucio you for your abandonment is because you have helped Harry. But do not think I am letting you off so easily."

"Of…of course not, my Lord," Lucius replied, lowering his head as he added, "I was…merely curious of the situation at hand: forgive me."

"That's better," Tom sniggered, looking over to Lily as he added, "The floor is yours, little sister."

"Thank you, Tom," Lily replied, gently nudging Harry as she stood up; moving to where everyone could see her, Lily turned to her son first as she told him, "You have done much with your powers, sweetheart, but you're yet to explore the true power of the shadows. Once you master them, there is nothing you cannot do and that includes surviving the impossible: you see, on that night, Tom did come to our home, but it wasn't because of lies or betrayals…instead, it was because _I_ invited him there."

Harry's eyes widened as he asked softly, "Why?"

"Because of James and Dumbledore," Lily explained, her voice edged by a hint of rage as she spoke, "When you were born, that senile, demented old fool _knew_ you were related to my Father like I knew too. When he told James, the lying bastard actually considered…he wanted to…"

"Kill me?" asked Harry, earning a slow nod from Lily as he asked, "Why? Because I'm Grindelwald's grandson?"

"You're also third-generation," Lily told her son, "Which, in magical terms, is a powerful number, remember? There was no telling what sort of powers you would unlock from me or from your Grandfather: so, when I found out, I convinced James that you were good and, to ensure it, I had him Anoint you as the direct descendant of Godric Gryffindor, which is where your Lightning power comes from."

"And the shadows come from you," Harry added, earning a nod from Lily as he asked, "What about the ice? And what about the other stuff like Healing, Blood and wandless magic?"

"Well…" Lily replied, tapping her nose slyly as she told her son, "Like I said, Harry: third-generation is a special type of witch or wizard, especially when you throw in the bloodlines of Godric Gryffindor, Ignotus Peverell and Salazar Slytherin, which came from your Grandfather through Tom and I and then through you. Naturally, there had to be some magical compensation somewhere along the way, but the point is that James let sleeping dragons lie because he thought you had been purified…made good again."

"But you hadn't," Tom then continued, earning the attention of everyone else in the room as he explained, "Because when James went through the ritual, he unintentionally released your full Grindelwald prowess and ability. That allowed me to realise that my little sister was still alive and that she was now a Mother."

"So," Lily went on, "When you were one year old, I went out for an hour: James tried to have me followed, but you can't exactly follow a Nethermancer everywhere. Tom and I met up and he told me the truth and, strange as this is going to sound, Harry, I wasn't scared: instead, I trusted him to do the right thing. When I told him about James and what he'd done, Tom lost it and told me that he was coming to take you away so he could help you become a _true_ Dark Child. However, I managed to calm him and, instead of taking you away, we made a plan."

"What this plan involved," Tom explained, now pointing to the scar on Harry's brow as he told him, "Was the appearance of death, which would Anoint you again and, at the same time, protect you from the Light. So, on that night, Lily sent me word that she was prepared for what came next: when I reached the house, James tried to stop me, but it was your Mother that actually killed him, but not before she said…"

"No-one uses my baby like some sort of pawn," Lily hissed, the light in the room appearing to go dark as she then went on, "After that, Tom and I both went to your room: you were awake and recognised him, maybe because of James' anointing, I don't know. Anyway, Tom then went through an Anointing Ritual of his own, which also triggered blood bonds that we had agreed on: one with Draco, which was forged when I asked Cissa to be your godmother, and the other with Rhydian, who at the time was Neville Longbottom and chosen by James because he believed you to be Light."

"So was it James that took me from _my_ family?" asked Rhydian, earning a shake of the head from Lily.

"No, it was Dumbledore," explained Lily, "But that's a story for another time: anyway, in the midst of the ritual, _he_ appeared and tried to break the bonds between you and Tom. In defence of him, because I knew that you would be safe once the rite was completed, I jumped between the curse and, using Nethermancy, I used something known amongst our kind as a Last Resort."

"What…what was it?" asked Harry, listening with rapt attention as he heard the full story.

"It's known as a Dark Shift," explained Lily, shuddering with a hint of discomfort as she explained, "The body is weakened, but when it's perfected, the Dark Shift allows a Nethermancer to send their life force into the Spectral Realm. However, unless the body is kept alive and whole, the essence can't return and instead wanders the realm as a Pale Shadow…which is sort of like a ghost, but I can still be seen, heard and felt by those closest to me."

"That was how she appeared to us in the chamber," explained Tom, earning a nod from Harry as he listened.

"However," Lily then added, "In my fall, though he knew what I had done, Tom turned on Dumbledore before the ritual was completed and you were protected. When Dumbledore struck him down, Tom did the only thing he could: he took his soul and…"

"Put it inside me," Harry whispered, earning a nod from Lily as Harry then explained to a shocked Draco and the others, "That was why he needed my help in the chamber: it was dangerous, but by removing the shard from inside me, Tom could come back. At the same time, using the item that was held in that mirror, the Philosopher's Stone, they could create a…what did you call it, Uncle?"

"A homunculus," answered Tom, "A body forged from Alchemy and dark magic: with the Stone, I could then give the homunculus life and allow Lily to return to her body. I've spent ten years and more trying to get it right, but, at last, I had it and now, at long last, we're reunited…and there's only one thing I want now."

"What?" asked everyone else, though Harry noticed a smile on Lily's face as Tom pointed at him.

"You, my nephew," Tom explained, his voice edged by pride as he told Harry, "I want to help you rule…as you were born to do. You asked me how you could repay this debt to me: well, this is what I ask."

Here, he rose from his seat and, crossing the room, the once-Dark Lord kneeled in front of Harry before he took his hands and, meeting his eyes, he told him;

"Let me help you, Harry Potter, Slytherin King and Nethermancer, become the greatest Dark Lord _ever!_"

**Chapter 16 and Tom has returned, but so has Lily and now, they both have one desire: will Harry let that desire come true though? That's the question;**

**Also, what sort of power will Draco unlock to complete the forging of the most-powerful dark force in the world?**

**Keep Reading to Find Out**

**Next Chapter: Second year dawns and old friends and new make their arrivals known to our heroes; plus, a certain Eagle has words with Harry about his future while a certain snake makes a decision that will rock the fate of the magical world **_**forever!**_** Also, with truths known, Lucius starts a little investigation of his own while Harry faces trouble as a certain golden-haired prat makes his debut…**

**Please Read and Review**

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **__**Tom**_

**Also, for those who might have a problem with how I portray Tom, let me just remind you all that this **_**is**_** Fan Fiction, which sends the rules all but out the window; oh, and for appearances, think of a slightly-older Tom from CoS;**


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